Bad Blood [NoRenMin] ✔

06

Jisung and Jaemin found talking at the coffee place easier and so they stayed. Jaemin didn't speak; he waited until Jisung said something first because if he spoke, he thought it would be too disrespectful in this situation. They ordered another round and Jisung nodded like he was ready. When he met Jaemin's eyes, the latter nodded as well.

"So, you're saying that he's gone?"

"I'm saying that he's missing," Jisung corrects him sharply. His face shifted into an expression he didn't recognise and his eyes looked apologetic; Jaemin nodded again to confirm the younger didn't have to worry about it.

"But the last article was about the other night."

Jisung nods. "The fallen vending machines. I know." The finality in his tone gives him away; it puts the pieces together and it hits Jaemin. (It didn't take a masters to figure it out.)

"You—"

Jisung hushes him before he can finish his sentence. Lowering his voice, he says, "I need to keep the site going. But I don't need anyone finding out it was me. I don't need to get kidnapped the way my brother did." He moves back in his seat and his eyes are absolutely intense, Jaemin thinks.

"Alright," he says, just as the girl returns with their orders. These are cold; Jaemin and Jisung share a look. They chug down their drinks and this time, Jisung pays. They leave the place together.

"So the study thing," Jisung starts.

"You want to start tomorrow?" Jaemin asks and the younger nods.

Jisung's room is on the floor below Jaemin's one. They walk together until Jisung heads off to his room. The rest of the walk to his own room is quiet, and it definitely does not prepare him for when he walks into the room; Haechan seated at his own desk staring at a textbook while Mark laid across the bed, laptop propped up on his stomach and seated on the floor, Renjun paged through a manga. All of them look up at the sound of the door opening and they all continue to stare as Jaemin stands still in the doorway.

"Am I interrupting anything?" he feels the need to ask. They all shake their heads.

Hesitantly, Jaemin closes the door behind him. Just as he does, Haechan stands and sits down beside Mark who sits up himself. Renjun proceeds to flip through the manga.

"Jaemin-ah, Mark and I want to run something by you."

They wait until he's seated on the bed. Haechan smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes. "So you know how I stay out some nights," he starts. Jaemin doesn't answer though. He senses that this isn't an answer if you can but rather a wait until I'm done. "Well, I was thinking that perhaps, if you were comfortable with it of course, whether Renjun could stay here during those nights while I stay with Mark-hyung."

His eyes flicker between the three and he realizes how serious of a question this was; his answer really mattered. Of course he wanted to say no, but taking in Mark, he caught sight of worry lines creased into his forehead and his hands gripping at the material of his pants. He really looked way more nervous about Jaemin saying no than Renjun did.

No, when Jaemin looked at Renjun, the other only stared straight back. There wasn't an ounce of emotion. Until their eyes made contact; as sharp and soft as they've ever been the last few times Jaemin dared to make contact with them, there was something there that he couldn't place. It was enough to make him realize how desperate the three really were.

"Sure," Jaemin says finally as he meets Haechan's eyes. He doesn't ask questions; he doesn't feel like he should. Not now at least. Haechan and Mark are cheering as the words leave his mouth.