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The day of the treasure hunt arrived quickly. Suddenly, all the rushed preparations were ready to be used, and the students that had set it all up in a blind panic were more excited to see how it all turned out.
Jeno stood with Chenle, Jisung, Jaemin and Renjun, watching as most of the school started to file through the doors at six in the evening. Technically, only Jisung and Renjun were on welcoming duty, but the other five weren't particularly busy and decided to tag along.
"It's fun being in school after hours for things like this," Chenle pointed out, "Seeing everyone participate in school games is nice."
"It's shit," Jeno sighed, "I hate school. It's just a whirlpool of nasty judgemental teenagers, homework, people who don't care about you and boredom. I'm always tired as well."
Jaemin patted his shoulder, typing something out and showing him. "We care about you. And school hasn't been that bad for me so far."
Renjun tapped the tip of his foot off the floor, clasping his hands behind his back and feeling a little down. Jisung had shared words of wisdom a few days before, but it still didn't change how the Chinese male felt.
Glancing at Jaemin, the oldest thought about various things. The fact that the blonde was the one to raise his thoughts on Renjun being with other people. The way he purposely separated he and Jeno so that he wouldn't be left out. How he trusted Renjun with certain things that he wouldn't dream of saying to Jeno.
What were they?
The space between being close friends and knowing that they both liked Jeno....what was that called? Was this even mutual ground they were walking on? Did they need to have some sort of conversation to clear the air?
Jaemin looked over in Renjun's direction, catching him staring and smirking. The older gasped, quickly diverting his attention elsewhere, but Jaemin wasn't ready to drop it there.
He stepped over to the brunette, touching his shoulder and making him sigh defeatedly.
Renjun signed, "What?"
"I know you were watching me. It wasn't even subtle....about two minutes?"
Renjun pursed his lips, tilting his head and shrugging as if to say, 'so what?'. He wasn't so pathetic that he'd let this person dominate him.
Jaemin leaned in, signing really close to the other's face with a wink, "I guess I must be that good looking..."
Turning back to look at the students entering and walking past their group, the blonde walked back to be by Jeno's side. Renjun gritted his teeth, being beaten there. It wasn't as though the younger was lying....the shorter had looked at his chest during that video call a few weeks ago which awoke the realisation that he found him attractive.
Screw both of them for being good looking, he thought to himself, feeling Jisung and Chenle's questioning gazes. Thank god nobody else understood sign language.
.........
The teams were picked out during an assembly and the students who had set the course up were in charge of finding checkpoints throughout the small forest and giving hints or advice to lost teens.
Jaemin insisted that both Jeno and Renjun stayed with him. They then established a group of three, and Jisung took Chenle to a different section of the course.
Haechan wandered over to them about ten minutes in, dragging two seniors along that the three recognised as Yuta and Jungwoo. "Hey guys."
Jaemin put his hands in his pockets and bit his lip to hold back a scoff. He still wasn't keen on Haechan, and Jeno kicked his ankle for it.
"Hey," Renjun beamed, giving Haechan a hug and high fiving the other two.
"Can we use you to cheat?" Jungwoo enquired, "Our pride is on the line."
Jeno frowned, "Did you make a bet?"
"Ugh, don't remind us," Yuta sighed, "The others are going to make us come to school in skirts on Monday if we lose."
"I have great legs," Haechan laughed, pretending to walk like a model.
"Aw, you guys are so stupid," Renjun shook his head. "Sorry not sorry. We can't help you unless you're lost."
"Then can you point in the general direction of the first clue?" Jungwoo requested.
Jaemin broke into laughter, chuckling loudly and throwing his arm out to point behind the trio.
Jeno slapped his forehead, "We're here to help with the third clue. You've come way too far."
Yuta groaned, ruffling his hair frustratedly and pushing the other two to turn around. They started to walk back, sighing in defeat.
Jeno and Renjun smiled and waved them goodbye, looking around at the fairy lights in the trees and the excited teenagers running around and letting loose for the night. Jaemin on the other hand, stood behind them and couldn't take his eyes off their backs.
The shorter male standing beside the taller looked cute. They looked physically good together, and instead of that fact stabbing him like a knife like it normally did....he thought it was soft. The small lights brightening the growing darkness around them made the whole scene ethereal.
Pretty, the blonde thought. It was all that came to mind.
Renjun started giggling softly, clasping his hands behind his back nervously and proving to Jaemin that he was nervous around Jeno now. He didn't know how to act or process his feelings.
They were the same.
He cautiously wandered up to them, subtly squishing them together so he could wrap his arms around both. Leaning his head against Jeno's since they were the same height, Jaemin felt Renjun wrap his own arm around his back as well.
"What's with you?" Jeno chuckled, "First you're mad, then you're all sulky, and now you're hugging us. I don't get you sometimes."
Renjun hummed in agreement, glancing up and locking eyes with the youngest. They stared at each other, but instead of being cocky this time, Jaemin tucked a lock of chocolate brown hair behind Renjun's ear, creating a blush on the older's cheeks.
You guys would never understand how I feel, he thought to himself.
