Bad Blood [NoRenMin] ✔

28

Already a week into the second semester, Jaemin was struggling. Not necessarily with the classes or the workload, but rather the fact that he hasn't heard from his boyfriend in a week. He hasn't seen him around and every time he messaged, it would only have a single tick. Considering he hasn't seen him since they got back from semester break, Jaemin worried it was something that happened between Renjun and his dad. As much as he tried not to think about it, this only seemed to bring about negative thoughts: such as perhaps Renjun decided Jaemin wasn't worth it.

"Don't be ridiculous," Mark shoots. The only reason he was speaking to Mark was because Haechan was persistent in knowing something was off and eventually, Jaemin caved. (Considering he kept checking his phone and sighed every hour on the hour, he would have been surprised if they didn't pick up on it.) "He won't just quit on you, especially not like this. Honestly, Renjun hasn't been this happy since Jeno." It's the name that gets him. Without even realizing, Jaemin has stopped his pacing and he's stiffened a considerable amount.

"Have you two not had the exes conversation?" Haechan asks, seeming to have noticed the change. His tone is more fearful than Jaemin feels.

"No," Jaemin replies. His throat is dry and as he speaks, it feels like his throat is filled with sandpaper. "We never got to that topic," he murmurs in reply. Sitting down on his bed, he bites his lip. Maybe it was just a coincidence, he thinks. Perhaps it wasn't the same Jeno; it couldn't be. It couldn't be the same Jeno because his Jeno is dead.

"You look a little pale," Haechan says. Jaemin barely notes that he's stood up. "Let me—"

"Jaemin." He lifts his head until he's looking at Mark who seems to have the most intense gaze he's ever witnessed from the guy. "He and Jeno are a thing of the past, alright? He likes you. You're who makes him happy now. Jeno makes him miserable," Mark says sternly. It feels like he's sitting in a lecture.

"Did Renjun love him?" The question slips out his mouth before his head can process it properly.

Mark's eyes seem to darken for a moment. "Yeah, he did. Until Jeno decided to end things. It was a couple of years ago in high school." The last sentence is added as an afterthought. Jaemin only stares. High school, he thinks. Which means it is definitely not his Jeno. The only way his Jeno and Renjun could have dated was if it were before he and Jeno happened.

Finally clicking back into reality, Jaemin nods.

"You know," Haechan starts with a smile. "Maybe you should go by his room if you haven't already."

Smiling back, Jaemin thanks him. After getting the room number from Mark, he makes his way out and down the halls. Considering the fact that he hasn't really been around most sections of the dorm, he ends up needing to ask for directions from some people (because it was actually way easier to get lost than one would think.)

He ends up outside the room a few moments later, and he cannot help but feel more than just a little nervous. What if Renjun wasn't even here? What if nobody answered? Shaking his head, he takes a deep breath and lifts his hand to the door. There's no immediate answer which leads Jaemin to thinking that maybe nobody was there. He considers leaving, but reconsiders. If nobody answers on the third knock, he thinks to himself, then I'll go.

However, it's after the second knock and as he's readying himself for the third one that the door swings open. If hell froze over, this is how he would imagine it feeling. His entire being freezes and he swears it feels as though the blood flow has even managed to freeze for a split second. The person in front of him was someone he never expected to see walking again. Hell, the fact that Jeno, in all his alive glory, was breathing amazed him. Amazement was too simple of an emotion to explain this experience. A miracle is what it is. And that means that this is Renjun's roommate, the voice whispers at the back of his head. Which means his Jeno and Renjun's Jeno were the same Jeno. As shocked and filled with unbelief as he feels, it seems to match the taller's expression. Clearly Jeno was not expecting this encounter either, and evidently, he didn't know how to react. Most of whatever was happening right now was them staring at each other. Jaemin wanted to react; he wanted to say something, but his body wasn't listening. His brain felt like it was shutting itself down.

Finally, after what felt like the longest moment of his life, Jeno nods at him. "Jaemin."