drama⚘⚘ nomin

eleven

Tuesday isn't even close to being better than Monday.

In the break before our lesson with Mrs Kim, where we're going to talk about the scene and the upcoming rehearsals, some seem to read it the first time. And of course, they start complaining. About the fact that they kiss two times, that they need to be acted by boys, that they can't just kiss another boy. Some of them start joking that Jeno and I did that on purpose and I start to feel very uncomfortable. We didn't even know the scene had to be acted, and we definitely didn't expect to be the ones whose text would be chosen. I started to look forward to the acting though. Not in front of anyone, but it's fun and kissing Jeno still is the best part of it.

As the complaining gets worse, Jeno takes my hand and quietly tells me to focus on his words. I concentrate on him talking about a film or a book or something, but it can't quite drown out the others' voices. Donghyuck and Renjun start shifting in their seats, being as uncomfortable as I am. Jeno must be, too - but he's good at ignoring these things. Their voices all seem to be the same - loud, angrily filling up my thoughts, none of them really reaching me.

Something in Donghyuck must be snapping in the moment I'm mentioned again - I don't even know what it's about, fear spreading through my mind.

"C'mon, our couple will be able to act a harmless kissing scene, and so will you. Just pretend or whatever, nobody cares. It's acting, after all."

The class goes silent.

"Oh, great," Jeno growls quietly.

"They don't know," Donghyuck gasps and his eyes start to widen.

"Well done, Donghyuck," Renjun sighs right before the chaos starts. They get angry. They get confused. They shout. They ask. They start whispering. They laugh. I can't hear anything. Not even Donghyuck and Renjun arguing right next to me. Am I still breathing? Am I still alive? If I am, I'm going to die soon.

"Nana," I suddenly hear Jeno's voice, "angel." I snap back into reality and stare at him in fear, my mind being a mess.

"They're going to kill me," I whisper, "they're definitely going to kill me now."

"No. They're not even going to touch you. Nothing will happen to you."

Their voices get louder, drowning everything else out. Insults. Threats. Jokes. Every single word is about me. Not about Jeno, nor Donghyuck. Just me. Because they can make me responsible for all of this.

"Nana, please," I hear Jeno again, "don't freak out." I suddenly gasp for air, unaware of not breathing before. "Calm down. Please calm down. Nothing is going to happen to you."

"That's it," Renjun's sharp voice makes most of them fall silent, "I've had enough of you. All of you. What the hell is wrong with you? Jaemin has never done anything wrong and you've hated him all along. For what? What's the fucking reason? That he's our friend now? That he's Jeno's boyfriend? Are you fucking kidding me? Are you jealous that he's close to us? And you're not? Doesn't that, like, tell you that you're doing things wrong? Do you really think we like you more for fucking threatening him? Hurting him? Are you really that fucking stupid? Because that's exactly what it looks like. You're so fucking stupid. Every single one of you. He's our friend, fucking deal with that. And if you're stupid enough to continue hating him, then at least shut the fuck up because nobody cares about that. Leave him alone. Leave both of them alone. Just all of us, if that's even possible for you."

Silence.

"But he's gay."

Within a second, Jeno stands in front of Jinsong.

"And still a better person than you'll ever be," he spits and perfectly hits Jinsong's nose. The crack when it breaks is audible in the whole room. Nothing happens, until he falls backwards, landing on the floor with a thud. Chaos spreads once again, and the only thing I feel is Renjun dragging me outside, followed by Donghyuck.