Ashes | JENO

Chapter 13

Jeno's fever eventually broke, so Soojung let him go home.

"That should be it." Soojung said, helping Jeno pack his clean clothes into his back as he put his jacket on. Mark and Haechan were also waiting downstairs for him.

"Thanks." Jeno said, taking the bag from her and swinging it over his shoulder.

"Whoa, watch it." Soojung warned, confusing Jeno. "I packed soup as well and I don't want it to leak."

How thoughtful, Jeno thought as he nodded his head, thanking the girl.

"Oh, before you go." Jeno watched as Soojung ran to her room and coming back out. She passed him her eyeliner pen.

"Thanks." Jeno said, using the mirror near her door to draw his cross back before passing the eyeliner back to her.

"We can't have cute Jeno roaming the streets of Neo City." Soojung said, making Jeno smile.

Jeno was about to leave, his hand on the door when he felt like something wasn't right.

"Soojung, what's your number?" Jeno asked, taking his phone out.

"Huh?" Soojung said, giving him a look.

Jeno gulped, his brain telling him not to say anything but he pushed it away.

"I'll pick you up from your hospital shifts and then we can see the cats together before I take you home." Jeno said, pausing before adding, "only if you want."

Soojung didn't say anything at first and Jeno wanted to shove his face in the wall but he felt relief wash over him when she opened her mouth again.

"No, that's a good idea. Then I don't have to go out of my way in the morning." Soojung said, giving him a small smile as she slipped his phone out of his hands and put her number in, sending herself a message.

"I'll check Jaemin's schedule then." Jeno said, taking the device back from her.

"Take it easy, okay." Soojung said, patting his arm softly. "You're still not fully healed."

"Okay, mom." Jeno said and felt flutters in his stomach as Soojung giggled.

"Alright, get going before your friends come up." Soojung said, giving him a wave as he exited her place.

Jeno let his smile fade as he met his two friends at the door, both of them smirking.

"So you stayed the night." Mark said as Jeno got on his bike. "You never stay the night."

"Well I was sick and tired." Jeno said, hoping they would stop teasing him.

"Hm, Lee Jeno showing his weak side to a girl? Unheard of." Haechan said with a chuckle. It soon stopped as Jeno shot him a glare.

"You know what the rules are about dating." Jeno told them but Haechan only shrugged.

"Just her to convince her to be one of us, not that hard." Haechan said, Mark nodding.

Jeno only shook his head, starting the engine.

"Love doesn't exist, anyways."

...

"Soup. Cute."

Jeno looked up from the bowl of Soojung's soup he was drinking, settled at the dinning room of their apartment. He had came home, taking a nice warm shower, and now eating what Soojung had packed before calling it a night.

Jaemin's face was serious as he sat down across from him and Jeno could tell that their conversation would be very different from Mark and Haechan's.