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Jeno looked into the bare cupboards once again. It had been two days since he had actually eaten. Even managing to get water into his system had been a struggle, but there was simply no food whatsoever.
It had basically taken all his money that he earned from his part time job to pay for the water he was receiving.
Like he did everyday, he told himself, "I can't go on like this..."
But somehow he did, and he had a feeling that his luck of survival thus far was going to end. Even two days from now, if he couldn't get food, he'd be dead.
As he pulled his basically empty bag onto his back and walked out of the front door, he shook his head in dismay. After locking up, the teen wandered down the barren pathway towards school.
......
Jaemin had decided to walk out a little further than he usually did. Since he didn't do P.E or play sports, to keep himself fit he would take walks in the autumn and winter and run if he weather was nice in the summer and spring.
On this day though, he chose to take a long walk and listen to music. Branching out further than the town and entering the small estate lining the edge of civilisation, he stopped daydreaming and started to pay attention to where he was.
His pace slowed as he looked at the mostly normal households, some a little better looking than others.
What captured his attention though, was a familiar brunette stepping through his crooked and dilapidated front gate. He had a bag over his shoulder and a pained expression.
No way....is that Jeno? Jaemin chewed at his lower lip, staring more intently as the older started to walk towards town using the shorter route. It was definitely him, and Jaemin didn't hesitate to follow.
Taking one last glance at the older's house worried him though. The state of it wasn't safe, and he immediately thought of all the things that could go wrong inside such as the roof concaving, or a robbery.
What are your parents thinking? He rhetorically asked Jeno which was meant really for himself. He was used to thinking that adults protected their kids at all costs and living that way, in such danger, was unacceptable. He remembered seeing an article saying how a mother had her teen daughter taken away from her because she couldn't provide for them.
What if Jeno got taken away?
Stop worrying so much about someone you barely know, he inwardly scolded himself. He maintained a safe distance between them, watching carefully each time Jeno had to stop and lean against something for support.
To anyone who didn't know him, like Jaemin, he appeared to need serious help. He was sick, or injured or something.
Once Jeno stumbled forward and leaned against a lamppost quite suddenly, Jaemin was so close to running over to him and exposing himself. Something wasn't right, and when Jeno started to dry heave, he knew he had to do something.
Ripping his earbuds from his ears and racing over to him, Jaemin wrapped his arm around the older's shoulders and placed his other hand on his chest, helping him stand straight.
"Jeno, what's wrong?" He typed single handedly into the electronic voice on his phone. He didn't use it often since he didn't like the idea of people referring to that voice as his.
The brunette didn't speak, only coughed into his arm and looked up at Jaemin. "Nothing is wrong. I'm fine."
"Bullshit. You're literally heaving but not throwing up, stumbling around with no balance and I'm pretty sure a guy my age shouldn't be this light. What's really happening here? Why are you living in such a dangerous house?"
Jeno pushed him away aggressively, "It's none of your business. I can handle my own life, and I don't need help!"
Jaemin scowled at his stubbornness, "You sure about that? If I let you go now you won't collapse in a ditch and rot?" There was a tinge of sarcasm to his thoughts, though the phone couldn't possibly have known that.
Jaemin really wanted to use his vocals. He wanted to sound sincere when trying to talk to Jeno, but he just couldn't. Not after so long of holding his silence.
"Seriously, I'll be fine. Don't tell anyone about this," the older huffed, taking a few steps backwards and starting to walk away.
As Jaemin watched with dismay, he found himself at a loss for what to do. He didn't know the other all that well and there was no way he could contact family or a doctor behind his back.
So as Jeno disappeared up the hill, all he could do was watch. His eyes followed him until he was out of sight, but not out of mind.
