Chapter Text
Find a hobby, they say, that way it takes your mind off unwanted things or more like getting his mind off other people’s minds for Jeno’s case.
And on the quest of finding the best hobby where Jeno could be at ease with his mind, body and soul, Jeno took up drawing but it seems like it’s not the most suitable hobby for him because no matter how many times he tried, his drawings were all flawed.
But hey practice makes perfect right?
Jeno scowled at his drawing.
Haechan who was sitting beside him all this time, snickered when he saw Jeno’s attempt at drawing their hexagonal art room from a front view which was right in front of their table in the outside cafeteria.
“Stop making fun of my drawing,” Jeno glared at his friend.
Haechan widened his eyes and puts a hand on his chest, feigning innocence. “I am not even saying anything Lee Jeno, you hurt me,” he pouted and Jeno makes a face of disgust.
(Haechan is smiling again… that’s good.)
“Ew.”
“The hell are you making that disgusting face at!? I’m handsome just so you know!”
“Unfortunately only Mark sees you as a ‘handsome person’” Renjun joined in the banter with a snicker, placing his lunch box and water bottle across the table. “Hi suckers, guess you haven’t died at chem yet.”
Haechan clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. Stealing Jeno’s chocolate milk—“hey!”—he flicked his finger at Renjun’s tray. “Who are you? Please stranger don’t join me and my friend on our peaceful lunch time,” he intoned flatly. “You’re too shor—”
Renjun doesn’t even say anything and just lunges at Haechan from across the table. Jeno didn’t even see it coming, surprising himself at how violent and quick the Chinese male could get when he’s short-fused. Renjun’s arm was around Haechan’s neck by the time he finished blinking, choking the other male.
“No killing in school please,” Jeno intoned flatly as he sighed and placed his art book on the table. He stares at his friends, they’re such big fans of causing dramas.
Renjun pulled away from Haechan with a glare and a pout. “That was a warning,” he hissed as he slammed himself down on his seat as Haechan laughed his ass off as if he wasn’t going to be choked to death a second ago.
“Jeno,” Jeno raised an eyebrow at Renjun as he ate the chicken sandwich he just bought a few minutes ago. “You know Na Jaemin?”
Jeno’s throat suddenly goes dry and swallowing the piece of chicken and bread took more time than necessary. “Y-yeah…” he internally cringed at how low and squeaky his voice sounded. Haechan even gave him a suspicious glance as he ate his egg rolls.
Renjun widens his eyes a bit, eyebrows raised. “Oh? Really? But like… I never saw you interact with him in class before…?”
Jeno shrugged his shoulders and tried to seem casual. “We don’t really know each other but like he’s from our homeroom so how can I not know him, you know?” he said but those were all just half-truths. “Besides we share a few classes together like bio and ICT.”
“Oh…” Renjun doesn’t seem to believe him but he didn’t question any further.
Jeno furrowed his eyebrows at his Chinese friend. “Why are you asking me about him..?”
“Nah,” Renjun waved him off with a smile. “I just wanted to know because I saw the two of you going home together yesterday when the two of you clearly don’t talk to each other in class this whole time but I’m glad,” he pats Jeno’s shoulder. “You’re making friends at least and not just going to graduate this school with the awesome me and this singing wannabe person—”
“Hey!” Haechan yelled as an interjection.
“—as your only friends.”
Jeno made a face and slapped Renjun’s hand from his shoulder.
“Whatever you nerd.”
Haechan laughed, taking Jeno’s art book and showing Renjun Jeno’s failed attempt at making a perfect drawing of their hexagonal shaped art room from a front view. “Renjun look!” He grinned, waving the art book like a prize medal. “Our Jeno is at it again!”
Renjun wheezed at the sight. “Oh my God! Jeno!”
Jeno, red-faced, grabbed the art book harshly from Haechan’s hand. “Give me a break guys! I don’t even take art!”
-
From: YangYang
Yo Jen u done copying my bio notes?
To: YangYang
Yes.
Thanks and sorry that it took me awhile to get it done
From: YangYang
No worries! Fyi if nana asks for it give it to him k?
To: YangYang
Yea sure thanks btw
From: YangYang
Haha no sweat Jen
“Jeno-ah!” Mark grinned and waved his hand at his younger brother as he walked up to him. Jeno, who was waiting for his older brother, pocketed his phone and stood up from his seat in the deserted library.
“Sorry that I took so long.”
Jeno waved him off as he places his books inside his bag, he was just about to be done with his biology homework but that could be done later when he gets home. “It’s alright…” he assured with a smile. “It’s not like waiting for an hour or two will kill me or anything,” he swung his backpack on his back, ready to head home.
Mark shook his head, his little brother is a very stubborn person who refused to go home by himself and insisted on waiting for him. They usually go home together but since extracurricular activities started to go in motion once more for the year, Mark was held up for basketball practice and Jeno wouldn’t let him go home alone. Besides, their house was empty with their older sister gone to university and their parents were at work.
Mark snaked his arm around his little brother’s shoulders, the little brother he gained not long ago. The little brother who now holds a special place in his heart.
“Come on now,” he ushered, turning them around and leading them out of the library.
“Ah hyung,” Jeno fetched his phone from his pocket, halting his steps. The black phone of his vibrates nonstop with the screen turned on as a name of the caller presented on it, indicating a muted call from someone but when he was about to accept the call, the vibrating stopped and his screen went black once more.
Mark stopped walking and peered over Jeno’s shoulder, his little brother had gained height over the years. “Someone called?”
Jeno nodded silently, the screen of his phone brightens as he unlocked it. “Doyoung-hyung called…” he informed the elder.
Mark tilted his head and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Their next door neighbor, Kim Dong Young who likes to be called Doyoung, rarely calls his younger brother. The two of them are close for some reason he doesn’t know but the older of the two never called before. Doyoung preferred messaging over calling because it was more—quote unquote— “convenient, doesn’t require much energy and less time-consuming” to him which was ridiculous to Mark’s opinion.
“Maybe it’s an emergency? Did he chatted you?”
Jeno shook his head with a frown. “He didn’t… I didn’t talk to him for the whole day even,” Mark grew more confused by his reply. He pursed his lips. What’s up with their neighbor?
“Ah!”
Mark perked up and peered over Jeno’s shoulder.
From: Doyoung-hyung
Call me back asap
Jeno pulled his earphones off, calling Doyoung’s number with no hesitation, placing the phone on his left ear so that Mark, who was standing to his left, could hear their conversation.
“Hello hyung?”
“Hey kid! Sorry it’s just that there’s this kid in front of your house. He claims to be your friend but I’ve never seen him before.”
Mark and Jeno exchanged looks at this. A person coming to their house whom Doyoung never seen before? Apart from Haechan, Jisung and a few of Mark’s friends they’ve never invited anyone to their house aside from the usual delivery men. Nevertheless they wouldn’t make plans with their friends if they weren’t going to be around the house.
“His name is Na Jaemin. Do you know him?”
Jeno pulled the phone away from his ear suddenly, looking at his older brother in pure horror—a look Mark has never seen him wore before.
“Hyung we have to go back home right now.”
-
“I’m really sorry for suddenly dropping by! I was in YangYang’s house and YangYang said you lived around the area and told me where your house was so I came here to take his biology notes from you. I didn’t mean to interrupt you or your brother’s hangout. I’m truly sorry.”
Jeno sighed, racking through his backpack for the notebook of his friend’s. “You should’ve told me beforehand you were coming here, that way I would’ve gone home sooner,” he told the younger as he handed over the large blue stripped notebook of YangYang’s.
Jaemin smiled gratefully, accepting the notebook and tucks the notebook under his arm. “I know, I know but we’ve never really exchanged numbers so I don’t really know how to contact you outside of school,” he broke into a wide grin and Jeno’s cheeks burned, butterflies fluttering inside his stomach at the sight of the boy in front of him.
Jeno might’ve told the younger a week ago about how he wanted to open up to the other but that doesn’t mean that it will be an easy process. That didn’t mean that he would open up right away with open arms and unlocked heart. That didn’t mean Jaemin could be close to him right off the bat. That didn’t mean Jeno wouldn’t ignore him for the incoming days in class.
(That didn’t mean he fully accepted Jaemin right away.)
“Besides, YangYang did warn you about me wanting to borrow his notes but anyways, thanks Jeno!”
Jeno shrugged his shoulders, averting his eyes from the younger. “No problem,” his voice weak and small. He feels the securitizing gaze of Mark and Doyoung, wanting to make himself disappear right then and there. God he’s blushing too much for his liking.
Jaemin’s sunny smile never left his face as he squeezed Jeno’s shoulder and walked away, not forgetting to bow politely at Mark and Doyoung along the way.
“He’s a friend of yours, Jeno?” Doyoung asked, his voice soft and low, specially used for the younger.
Jeno nodded, not wanting either of the elders to ponder on the new friend Jeno had gained. “Just a classmate,” he clarified. His voice higher and a bit squeaky than his usual. He swallowed, his throat suddenly felt dry and scorching.
Jeno looked away when Doyoung’s eagle eyes and Mark’s inquisitive gaze landed on him. The former was sharper than the latter and could easily point out the oddity in his voice and actions, pinpointing it to some conclusion. It took Jeno years of fixing his best poker face ever to even slightly fool the older. Jeno dislikes his own vulnerability. He hates how he has to be taken care by so many people when he can take care of himself dammit. He’s not a child who would scrape their own knees every time they go for a run.
“Well let’s go home then Jen,” Mark’s smile was a welcoming wind of relief. “I’m really tired and I smell like sweat and dirty socks,” he laughed at his own remark. Well at least that lighten up the dulling atmosphere…
Jeno’s face sour at the comment of his older brother. “You are disgusting hyung,” he pushed the older, a grin threatening to crack his face. “Go shower!”
-
“Have you met your soulmate?”
Jeno’s hand movement momentarily stopped as giggles erupted from behind him. He momentarily looks up to where Hyunjin and Heejin were having this conversation, their seats located just in front of his. His eyes locked with theirs and they giggled again, lower this time with red tinted cheeks as they cover their lower part of their faces.
Embarrassed of being caught eavesdropping, Jeno bowed his head slightly to them, eyes fixed on the English textbook in front of him. Flustered, he continued doing his work as the girls giggled once more. He tries hard not to eavesdrop but because of his ability, it wasn’t exactly avoidable.
The two girls were close, gossiping amongst themselves at every possible moment and its quite hard not to eavesdrop at their conversations but Jeno’s thankful for them being chatty boxers, it avoids him from hearing other people’s unwanted mind-voices and somehow it keeps him in track of his classes.
Hyunjin met her soulmate in a mall. Its this guy who’s in 10-A, the one Haechan talked about because he can break fruits with his hands. Her superpower or ability is her own voice, yada yada yada, Jeno sighed. For once the girls’ conversation was bothering him.
Why did Johnny-seonsaengnim left them to themselves again?
Beside him, he heard Renjun sigh. The Chinese male had this exasperated sour look on his face. “Have you met your soulmate Jeno?”
Jeno pursed his lips, not knowing whether to lie or to tell the truth.
(He haven’t trusted Renjun, not yet.)
“Do you think I’ll meet mine?” Renjun asked after a beat of silence between them, his face taut, jaw set, eyes oddly sharp and serious. “Is it wrong not to have one?”
Jeno frowned. He haven’t really thought about that and he doesn’t like it where this was going either. “Well...” he started as he set down his pen on his textbook. “I think you’ll meet yours one day and even if you don’t and end up not having a soulmate, that doesn’t define who you truly are as a person,” he gave Renjun that rare smile of his where his eyes turned into crescents as his lips curve in sincere. “Having a soulmate, romantic or not, girl or a boy is just an added bonus same goes for the superpowers we unleash.”
“Then…” Renjun’s words drawled, eyebrows furrowing and Jeno feels like a trapped rabit when Renjun opens his mouth and asked. “What do you think of the people who met their soulmates but don’t want them?”