𝗮 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂; norenmin

𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚛

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"Thanks for the help, boys," the nurse nodded to them as she worked on Renjun's very banjaxed nose. Donghyuck had a huge apology to deliver, and the Chinese boy would make sure of it.

"No problem," Jaemin smiled, washing his hands in the sink beside Jeno. The ravenette had gone quite quiet, much to the youngest's dismay.

As the blood ran down the drain, the blue haired male couldn't help but notice his watch. The current class was about to end, and his next was history.

"Shit!" He hissed, quickly drying up and rushing over to the victim. "I have to go, Junnie. I have history next."

"What?" Renjun frowned, "Aren't you going to stay with me? Please?"

Jaemin's heart chipped and cracked at the expression the older was wearing. One of sheer distress and hope. He wanted to stay by his side, of course he did. But his exam was today, even if it wasn't hugely important.

Jisung had worked hard with him, and the older had worked harder on his own. His mother had put so much faith in him this time, and letting them down would've been a bad decision.

"Junnie...." he hummed, crouching down to take his hands and hover in front of him. "Listen, I have a test today-"

"But you don't care about tests, Nana!" The brunette growled, making the nurse working on his nose flinch. "I-I don't get you! You're trying to get rid of me, aren't you?!"

"What?!"

Jeno quietly watched from the side, lips pursed nervously as he took no part in this.

"I-I know you are! You've been cancelling hang-outs, ignoring my calls, closing your curtains so th-that I won't see you across the window. You're trying to let me down slowly, aren't you?!"

Jaemin's throat constricted, having a reason for all of those things. He cancelled hang-outs to study, ignored calls as he caught up on sleep, closing his curtains so that Renjun won't see Jisung. This was all a horrible misunderstanding.....

But he was still too proud to admit he was being tutored.

"It's not what it looks like, Renjun. I promise."

"Liar! Even Chenle has his doubts-"

"Since when did you listen to Chenle?!"

"Guys, less negative energy, please," the nurse nervously uttered, standing up straight and checking once more to ensure the bandage on Renjun's nose was alright. "Um, Renjun, right?"

"Yeah."

"You'll have to stay and get collected from school. Call your parents. You both can either stay until he's collected, or head to class," she referred to the two teenagers standing around.

Jaemin gritted his teeth, maintaining eye-contact with his livid friend and almost cracking under the pressure. Almost skipping his test to be with him.

But his mother was right.

Sacrificing his life for love wasn't wise. He needed to cop himself on.

"I'm gonna go......" he murmured, getting up and stepping to stand beside Jeno. "I'll chat to you tonight, okay?"

"Don't bother," Renjun huffed, redirecting his gaze elsewhere and folding his arms.

As his eye caught Jeno and Jaemin sharing a look together, standing by each other and leaving together, he felt utterly left out. Jaemin was abandoning him for the boy he liked, wasn't he?

Jaemin trailed out of the room and down the hallways, the backs of his eyes burning from hurt. There was nothing he could say that didn't sound like a poor excuse, and Renjun was too sharp to fool.

As the silence of the surrounding walls encased the pair, Jeno couldn't help but break it. "Why didn't you stay with him?"

"Hm?"

"You love him, don't you? You should've stayed."

"I owe it to my tutor and my mother to get a ninety in this test. Heck, I owe it to myself. I need this."

"But he's mad now...."

"He'll get over it."

Jeno eyed his from the side skeptically, almost not recognising him. The Jaemin he knew would've moved land and sea to see Renjun smile. He wondered what had changed.

"You're growing up," he murmured, watching as his classroom came into view. "This is better for you."

Jaemin paused as Jeno went to stand outside his door. "What do you mean?"

"You seem livelier. Brighter, even."

"I've been sleeping."

"Then perhaps you should consider making this lifestyle permanent."

A vibration against the younger's thigh made both flinch in surprise. Jaemin pulled the phone from his pocket to check who it was.

An amazing, dazzling smile that Jeno had never seen before stretched out across his crush's face, a somewhat proud expression forming.

"Who...." he furrowed his brows, realising that it was none of his business. Maybe it was Renjun texting him and wanting to apologise or something. They always seemed to do that as far as the ravenette was concerned.

"Oh, I'll see you soon," Jaemin quickly waved to him, sprinting down the halls towards his own class which was downstairs. Jeno was left speechless and confused, wishing he could've had more confidence to ask questions.

What he didn't know was that the text actually hadn't been from a pouty and irritated Renjun in the infirmary.

It was from an excited Park Jisung who was simply wishing him 'good luck!'

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