Luminous • Jisung

9 • My

remind me again why I made adorable little Jisung a somewhat aggressive grim reaper for this story

• Chapter 9 •

Because a dead body breaks a living soul.

Because there really isn't much time to lose after one dies for their soul to be carried away.

That's why Chenle had to get up in the middle of the night that day.
"Next time wake Haechan instead," Chenle whined, head on the table before him.

"He has an exam today," Jisung replied, watching his friend in amusement as he sighed then took a deep breath.

"Renjun then," he said instead which caused Jaemin to look up with a raised brow. Checking the table in case he missed it, he directed his words at Jisung.

"Where is he even?"

Considering not to answer out of sheer annoyance for the matter, Jisung looked at his phone, waiting for a message from Yuta or Kun or anyone that might be able to find out what had been happening lately.

But he felt Jaemin's burning gaze and the way Jeno kept glimpsing up at him too.
"Picking up Haechan and Cho-a," he said lowly.

"She's having lunch with us again?" Jaemin beamed. He sounded happy, excited. 

But Jisung merely shook his head. "We're having lunch with Renjun and Renjun's bringing her along."

Frowning at his phrasing, Jaemin shrugged.
"Same thing."

Through the silence that erupted afterwards drew a feeling of tension. A feeling that grew until Jeno's voice cut through it.

It sounded melodic, it was calming to Jisung who was shooting glares at an unbothered Jaemin.

"Why's it just us though?" Jeno asked eventually. "You're looking out for Jaemin and me, why not do the same with Cho-a?"

"Because she's not like you," Jisung replied dryly.

The older one looked at the youngest through a frown. He knew that Jisung would say something like that - he just wasn't sure why he was so certain about it.

"What's the difference? You don't think she's human?"

At the mention alone, the youngest clenched his jaw and inhaled sharply.

"I think," Jisung said loudly, attracting unnecessary attention from tables around them.

At the glares his voice died down a little but his posture and demeanour stayed the same, dripping with arrogance and confidence.

Chenle had raised his head at his best friend's words and was watching him carefully.

"That there's only you and Jaemin. Whatever this girl is - it's something different," he stated. "You almost died and now you can see beyond the barriers of a normal person. That's all."

"Either way, she's not just a random girl," Jaemin stated. "What if she dies in the end?"

Jisung glared at them, his eyes burning holes into the skulls of his friends as he waited for them to stop and be quiet. As he waited for them to realize that they were trying to protect something that wasn't worth protecting.

And eventually, he just shrugged.

"I couldn't care less," he said and looked back down at his phone - right when a tray slid over the table's surface.

"It's okay, I can look out for myself," Cho-a said as she sat down next to Jaemin who looked at her with a smile. Renjun and Haechan sat down opposite her. 

"Still I think we should-" he began to say, yet got cut off by the youngest.

"Jaemin," Jisung warned at which the boy in question rolled his eyes. "Watch it."

"Jaemin is not the one," Renjun spat in return, voice low as he let his eyes fall onto the youngest, "who should watch what he says."

Unsure whether to be amused or irritated, Jisung leaned back a little and met the older one's gaze. "Are you trying to threaten me?"

Though he clearly saw the bubbling anger behind Jisung's brown eyes, Renjun seemingly stayed calm.

Seemingly.

Because he couldn't help the way his eyes dared to turn a dark grey. 

"It's a warning that if anything happens to my-" Renjun cut himself off. He took a deep breath, side-eyeing the girl for a second. "If Cho-a gets hurt because of you, you'll be next."

"Renjun, it's okay-" Cho-a tried to intervene but got quickly cut off by Jisung.

"What's the deal with you and Kun?"

"None of your fucking business," Renjun said before he got up. Offering Jisung another moment of painfully tense silence, he turned on his heel and left.

And Cho-a quickly got up too. She turned to Jaemin.
"Let's talk another time," she said hurriedly before she picked up her bag and followed Renjun.

With a huff, Jisung stemmed his elbows into the table's surface.

"Why did he have to overreact like that?" the youngest mumbled.

"You literally said you wouldn't care if she died," Jeno replied with a frown. 

Jisung looked at him with an empty expression then in the direction that the two vanished in.
"Of course I would," he mumbled under his breath. "How could I not if she's so important to him." 

• My •

Not so soft RenJi hours this chapter, but we're getting there~