Ice Cream on Lips (Anxieties Blissed) | RenMark/MarkRen

The Meeting of Strangers

(Renjun's introduction to Mark was a casual affair, so how was he to know that Mark was to soon end up being the core of his life?)

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Renjun was hounding after Jeno for forcing him to fill in for his shift when the gentle ringing of the front doors opening and closing jolted him out of his hazy fury.

Renjun looked up from his phone, curious as to what wandering soul dared to come to his store when midnight was just hushing the wildlife outside. He furrowed his brows when his eyes landed on a kid who looked to be around his age. The kid was shuffling toward the back of the shop.

His gaze lingered on the back of the relatively young customer for a few moments more before ultimately trailing back toward his phone's screen.

Renjun
you told me nobody comes during your shift
00:36

Jeno
??? Yeah
00:37

Renjun
image attached
explain
00:38

Jeno
Did you just take a picture of some kid without permission
00:39

Renjun
details are irrelevant just explain to me why he's here at the store at midnight getting ice cream
00:39

Jeno
Fuck if I know dude
Some people just like having a midnight snack
00:40

Renjun was about to send a wordy message that explicitly detailed how terrible a beating he was going to receive later on in the day when the bane of his working existence decided to ring up his purchase of the night.

Renjun took a calming breath and set aside his phone to scan the bar code on the gallon of Schwan's Brownie and Cookie Dough Dream (a highly unnecessary name for a flavor if Renjun's ever seen one). 

"Five thousand won," he read off the cash register's screen, tone flat and borderline bored.

As he waited for Ice Cream Boy to pay his due, Renjun observed just what kind of person who bought an entire gallon of ice cream at nearly one a.m. could possibly look and act like.

Cute, was the conclusion he came to.

Ice Cream Boy was soft around the edges, but his baby face held the tell-tale wear of school life, and, honestly, Renjun probably didn't look any better. He was also kind of twitchy—wired, to be exact: eyes shifting to and fro from his wallet and to his prize of the night; peeling lips worried between clasped teeth; the slight jolt that went through his body every time a foreign object made a harsh noise from outside.

Anxious, was what Renjun eventually changed his mind to, sending the distracted customer a wary glance before accepting his money.

"Please come again," Renjun spoke as soon as he handed over Ice Cream Boy's receipt. 

Ice Cream Boy gave a hesitant nod Renjun's way before snatching away his purchase and meandering his way back to the store's exit and disappearing into the milky midnight.

Renjun stared at the lingering effects of Ice Cream Boy's presence before shrugging the occurrence off and promptly forgetting about it, in turn, to threaten Jeno even further.

A/N - finally, Renjun's side of the story.