➳Pairing: Renjun x Reader x Jeno (ft a few other Dreamies)
➳Genre: Angsty fluff but mostly angst lol basically enemies to lovers
➳Word Count:1.7k
***This is not my gif!!***
A/N: Hello, hello !! Finally, we have reached the last chapter. As a celebration I thought a new gif was in order, which does not belong to me btw ! This chapter was looong over due. I started this series when I was at a really low point in my life almost 2+ years ago. Which when I say that out loud it sounds ridiculous that it took me years to write 5 chapters. Again, I apologize for that ;( I’m doing much better now though so as painful as this probably was for those who were waiting for this series I feel like it was almost meant to be. This chapter is short but sweet so pls enjoy !!
Previous Chapter
"Well? What did you say to his confession?"
Twenty minutes later, you're curled up into a pathetic little ball on Sadie's floor. You feel cowardly and foolish and albeit, quite embarrassed. You're more confused now than ever. It didn't help that you'd been on an emotional rollercoaster all day. You were just starting to get comfortable with the new relationships you had built and then Renjun had to come in and change everything. He was so hot and cold that you never knew what to expect. But to confess?? To suddenly confess to you out of nowhere was so out there. And to make matters worse you...
"Ran away," you grumble.
"You, huh?" Sadie leans closer to your depressed body.
"I ran. Didn't look back. All the way to the car without a word."
Sadie hums, running a comforting hand over your shoulder and smacks the back of your head.
Thwack.
"Ow! Sadie!!"
"That is a terrible way to respond to a friend's confession!"
You sigh, curling into yourself some more. "I know."
Sadie lets out a gruff breath, her hand returning to comfort you again.
"I'm a bad person. He hasn't even texted or called. He probably hates me."
"Of course he hasn't texted you! You ran away after he professed his love to you. I'm sure he doesn't want to come off as a creep."
"Love is a strong word."
"I saw the way he looks at you. I know love when I see it."
You frown at the thought, your stomach swirling at her words.
"If you want to talk to him, you need to call first."
You stretch your limbs wide across the floor, the corner of your lips turned downwards.
"I can't."
"Well, do you like him back?"
"I...I don't know. I'm confused. I mean, I was so focused on how great things are with Jeno, I never took the time to think about what I could be with Renjun. I guess I'm not disgusted by the idea of "us" anymore but I like Jeno. Me and Renjun...we don't make sense."
"Well," Sadie starts, and you can tell she's smiling. "I think you and Renjun make total sense, actually."
You lift your head up. "Why do you say that?"
There's a soft knock on the door and your dad peeks in, his face unusually stern.
"Honey, there's someone at the door for you. It's that boy from the school fair."
You snap up to your feet in a flash, your body filled with panic. "What? Which one?"
"Hell if I know. He's got dark hair and brown eyes."
"That's not helpful at all, dad." Sadie jokes.
"He's waiting out on the porch for you. Can we talk about the fact that there is more than one boy that would want to show up at my house at this time of night?"
"Not now, dad," Sadie laughs knowingly before she ushers you out of your room and to the door.
Your body tenses so badly that Sadie has to use extra force to push you. Your heart thuds in your rib cage and your mind is telling you to run again but you don't. You can't this time. Whether it's Renjun or Jeno, you don't see this ending well. If it's Jeno, you know you wouldn't be able to bring yourself to tell him what happened with Renjun. And if it was Renjun who was waiting for you outside? Well, then you'd really be in a pickle. You'd barely had that the time to sort out your feelings yet but the time for thinking was over now. Whoever it is, you have to be ready to make a decision and tell them. You brace yourself and open the door to see Renjun sitting anxiously on the edge of your porch bench. He stands erect at the sound of the door opening.
"Stay where I can see you," your dad warns before he shuts the door behind you.
There's a long awkward silence. You're not sure if your relieved or not that it wasn't Jeno.
"Hi," Renjun speaks first.
"Hi," you give him a tense smile.
"Sit," cringe when you hear the nervousness in voice as you gesture for him to sit back down on the bench.
You take your place next to him after another silent pause.
"Uh, hey, I'm sorry for springing my feelings on you so suddenly like that."
"Oh no!" Your eyes widen with worry. "No, don't be. I didn't react appropriately; I'm the one who's sorry."
He forces a chuckle. "Don't worry about it. Look, I gotta be honest. I like you. And when I say that, I mean I like you a lot. But I don't want to lose you either. I can't compete with Jeno and I know that. I don't know what I'd do if you started pushing me away. I already messed up everything by telling Jeno how I feel and I shouldn't have told you either. I just couldn't hold it in and I'm sorry—again, I shouldn't have said anything. But I like being your friend.I want to continue to be there for you and I don't want you to feel guilty around me. This is really embarrassing for me and I feel like an ass. Can we just pretend none of this ever happened?"
You bite your lip, shaking your head. "No. I...can't be your friend anymore. I can't."
A flash of pain runs across Renjun's face. "I get it. I fucked up."
He stares at the few flurries of snow that land gently in his lap.
You take a moment to respond because everything is suddenly so clear. It hits you like a tidal wave all at once. Renjun has been such a huge presence in your life for as long as you can remember. He was what motivated you. He was who you looked forward to seeing everyday, regardless of whether those feelings were hidden under the pretense of hate, it was always him. The thought of losing him genuinely scared you but pretending that nothing had happened between you scared you too. Because something did happen.
"No, you didn't," you say, your voice barely a whisper.
"Yeah, I did. I'll just go." He quickly stands up and you reach out and grab his arm.
"Let me finish. I don't wanna be friends, Renjun. I don't like Jeno."
"What?" His neck snaps to face you, a crimson blush covering his cheeks and ears. His mouth hangs agape as you both take in your words.
Your grip on his arm tightens before you continue.
"I thought I did but I don't. I'm just now realizing it's different with you. You make me feel different..."
Neither of you move. You're terrified out of your wits but you're confident that the weight of your words carried the sincerity of your heart. In a single moment, just looking at Renjun now, you understand how you've felt about him all along. It was like a puzzle piece had snapped into place. The chaos in your mind had stopped at last and you could picture a future. A bright and happy one that you could only be shared with Renjun. Now all you have to do is tell Jeno that. Your heart wrenches at the thought but you tuck the feeling down.
"I like you too."
You feel like a weight has been lifted off of your shoulders as the words leave your lips. It took the both of you so long to get here, to this place where you can be honest. Those odd rushes of heat you felt around him made so much sense now and there was a reason why you were always so hung up on his whereabouts. He wasn't Jeno. He's cold and blunt. He's a little nerdy and he isn't nearly as easy going as Jeno. He's rough around the edges but you swear he has the biggest heart hidden under those walls he builds to protect it. You liked him. You like all of him. You like Renjun.
Renjun's mind buffers for a moment and he starts stuttering gibberish. His flustered state causes you to chuckle, and you find comfort that you can finally admit to yourself that you find him adorable in every single way.
"Calm down and hold my hand," you giggle, your face a lively hue of pink.
His eyes locks onto yours and then he's grabbing the sides of your face, smashing his lips onto yours. You respond quickly, your arms wrapping around him tightly. He squeezes your sides sternly, so tight that you were locked into his solid hold. His lips are clumsy, almost trembling. In relief, excitement? You don't know, but his mouth is hot and his lips are soft and it's all you can think of. Your chest burns with warmth and a bubbly lightness pools into your stomach and makes your head fuzzy, a feeling so foreign to you. Is it love? You wonder and you think maybe it is. You smile into the kiss which causes him to grin as a chain reaction.
There's a loud bang at the door and the two of you separate at the speed of lightning.
"Sorry, that's my dad," you pant, as the kiss had left you breathless.
He chuckles awkwardly and settles for holding your hand. The snow comes down heavier and you watch in comfortable silence for a while. Your head on his shoulder, cheeks burning ablaze. You weren't too sure on how your rivalry with Renjun will end now. You both wanted the same spot at an Ivy League college. It's hard to let go of something you've been fighting over for so long. You were sure Renjun could afford to get in without the scholarship anyways but still. Who knows why he wanted the scholarship? Maybe it had something to do with his estranged relationship with his dad. You look to Renjun, his soft features and pearly smooth skin warming your face again. His beauty had eluded you somehow, your hatred from him had blinded you and you felt foolish for it. It was like you were seeing him for the first time. Not as a rival, or a lab partner you can tolerate, or even as a friend but as himself. He catches you staring and smiles, giving your hand a hard squeeze. For some reason, your worries are washed away in that moment. You'll cross that line once you get to it, you decide. For now, you'll focus on the present.
➳Pairing: Renjun x Reader x Jeno (ft a few other Dreamies)
➳Genre: Angsty fluff but mostly angst lol basically enemies to lovers
➳Word Count:4.6k
A/N: Ugh I feel so terrible for not posting like I promised. A lot happened between then and now but I'm sure nobody cares so I would just like to say I'm sorry for being a liar lmao. It turns out I had both this chapter and the last one completely done and it was just sitting in my works unedited /: yikes. Again, sorry. Enjoy!!
Previous Chapter Next Chapter
It's finally the day of the school fair and you're already over the whole thing. Both the booth and Renjun had stressed you out more than you could ever imagine and you were glad this would all be over soon. You had to admit, it wasn't all a complete waste of time. You had gotten immensely closer to Renjun over the past two weeks and what started out as a lethal war zone had become somewhat of a friendship. Although, you were still unsure if you could call it that.
You and Renjun had somehow wound up from texting quiz reminders to each other to staying up all night on the phone talking from small things like Shakespeare to who would survive a zombie apocalypse. Obviously, you would thrive in that kind of environment but you weren't so sure about Renjun. He defended himself ruthlessly but couldn't give you a good explanation other than the fact that he was smarter than most people. The conversation would somehow always lead back to school and eventually turn into a study session. It was nice to not spend all your free time studying alone for a change. It was still weird at times; being friendly with Renjun will probably always be odd. You were a bit nerdy and Renjun was one of the few who liked to study as much as you do.
Unfortunately, school and your extra curriculars ate up the majority of your free time. Which meant you barely had time for Jeno. You talked to him as much as you could but you never actually had the time to go on that date. You feel pretty guilty about it but after the fair tonight, you'll have more time for him.
You're approaching the school yard now about 40 minutes before everything starts. You can spot Renjun's gigantic backpack and the midnight stark blob of fluff he calls a hairstyle a mile away, already preparing for the grand opening. You scoff, not surprised he arrived first, him being an over-achiever and all.
"You're here early," Renjun speaks as he hears you nearing.
"Clearly, not early enough."
Renjun puts down the game of bean toss he's setting up to look at you.
"Odd. I didn't think you owned jeans."
Neither of you were in your uniforms for the event. You observe Renjun's comfortable flannel and hoodie combo and are delightfully surprised he was capable of having style. Who would've known?
"Did you think my school uniform was the only thing I owned?"
"No," he adds with a sour expression. "Just used to seeing you in a skirt."
You frown. "I hate that skirt."
"I like you in that skirt."
"Don't be a perv," you wave your fist at him.
He laughs. "I've only seen you in regular clothes like twice, okay. Give me a break."
"Oh, yeah. Like when I wore that awful outfit to that party and you told me I looked weird."
He stills, his smile fading. "Right, about that." He leans against the table. "I'm sorry about that night. You looked great, beautiful even. My words didn't come out right."
"Renjun, please," you snort. "I get you're trying to be nice to me now but you don't have to lie. I don't need your pity."
"No, really," his eyes are sincere. "Listen, I was an ass to you from day one. I've done some really horrible things to you over the years and that was unfair of me. I thought you looked really pretty. Honest."
You can only stare in awe at him. You like this side of Renjun. The side of him where he apologizes and fills your head with compliments.
"I wasn't easy to be around either, though," you admit with a chuckle.
"True, but I was kind of a bully. The only reason I was so mean to you was because my dad is crazy strict. He's always on me about my grades. I always had to be the best."
His shoulders slump with his words. "And even that is never enough. And you always made it so damn hard to be the best. If you did better than me on anything, no matter how small, I'd hear about it from him. He has this obsessive need to know every little detail about my academic life. Truthfully, this is just my punishment for not being the athlete son he's always wanted."
You feel a tug at your heart strings and your feet move before your mind realizes what you're doing and then you're hugging Renjun. He's smaller than he looks, your arms fitting around him easily. He's tense but embraces you as tightly as he can.
"Thank you for telling me that."
His face is as red as a tomato but he still musters to look you in the eye. "I know I'm pretty closed off at times and I'll probably never say this again but I'm glad you're my friend, __"
Friend.
He called you his friend.
You try not to show the excitement by the word but fail miserably as the unmistakable grin spreads on your face. "Me too. Now let's finish setting up shall, we?"
The two of you are done in no time and you admire your hard work. The booth looked dramatically better than all the other ones and it was sure to be the most popular tonight by far. You spend the rest of the time before the fair starts chatting excitedly with Renjun before Jeno shows up. He's dressed casually in a pair of skinny jeans, a band t-shirt and a long padded coat. He looked like a super model even in such comfortable clothing. He sends you a dazzling smile as he goes in for a hug.
"Hey, beautiful, what's up?"
"Nothing. Me and Renjun are all set," you say, gesturing to your partner.
Jeno and Renjun lock eyes for a sliver of a second before Jeno changes the subject to fair activities. That's odd. You couldn't help but notice the exchange wasn't anything like their usual banter and half-hearted insults. Something was off. As the conversation continues, the tense energy in the air only thickens and it only confirms your suspicions when you notice Renjun hasn't spoken a word to either you or Jeno. Was it nosy to ask? You were friends, after all.
Just last night you were on the phone with Renjun saying he was having a sleepover with Jeno at his place. Something must have happened then but what? Jeno and Renjun were the best of friends and it's been that way for as long as you could remember. If they fought, they made up in minutes, which could only mean something must've went horribly wrong. It was unnerving to see them ignore each other like this.
"Hey, I've got an idea," Jeno booms.
"Hmm?" your brain buffers as your pulled from your thoughts. "What is it?"
"We haven't gotten the chance to go on a real date besides that volleyball game I went to on Tuesday. So, I was thinking," he pauses dramatically.
You give him an odd expression encouraging him to continue.
"What if we make this our first date?"
"Oh," you think aloud. "That's a great idea!"
"I know, that's why I thought it," he holds his head up high as he interlaces his fingers with yours which cues a warmth to bubble into your stomach.
"Oh, but Jeno, I can't. I've gotta man the booth," you say.
"I see," he replies solemnly and you squeeze his hand for comfort. "Isn't there anyone else who can cover for you?"
He glances at Renjun and you look to see him glaring at you both with a miffed expression. He scoffs before he walks off.
"Okay, what is going on with you two? I was on the phone with him last night and he said you guys were hanging out. What happened?"
Jeno shakes his head. "I don't like you talking to him on the phone."
You raise your eyebrows in dismay. "Since when? Jeno, he's your best friend."
"Was," he corrects. "He was my best friend."
-
The fair opens and it's as if the whole school shows up. You and Renjun are more than prepared for it, though. And by the looks of it, he actually seemed psyched about it. You were happy he was in better spirits since Jeno left earlier to meet up with the guys a while ago but it still bugged you that neither of them would tell you what happened between them.
Jisung and Chenle are your first customers and they certainly bring a lot of volume to the booth.
"Hey guys!" Chenle practically screams.
Jisung covers his ears as he smiles at you politely.
"Hey, you two," Renjun greets the duo.
"We just came to see how this thing turned out and wow," Chenle mouth hangs open as he studies your hard work. "Boy, did you guys over do it."
"Excuse me?" your eyes send a silent threat to the young boy.
"Uhhh, I mean. It looks amazing!"
Jisung pulls the strings of his hoodie tighter. "It's cold out here."
Chenle hushes Jisung's complaints. "Let's test out these games, shall we?"
You introduce the first game available, the bean bag toss and you learn that Jisung has somehow never heard of it. After going over the rules a few times, the duo preps themselves by spouting several competitive comments at each other. Jisung tosses his bean bag first, missing by a long-shot which sends Chenle into an endless spiral of laughter. Jisung cocks his head to the side, convinced his next toss will make it in. It doesn't. He loses embarrassingly bad and you give him a pat on the back.
"Best two out of three?" He gives Chenle a pleading look.
Chenle agrees allowing Jisung to go first. He takes a few steps back, whispering words of encouragement to the inanimate object, his lip tucks under his front teeth as he takes a moment to aim. He throws his arm with an alarming amount of force and you watch as the bean bag smacks on the surface of the pits, a loud crack sounding from the wooden board.
"Jisung!" Renjun exclaims.
Chenle giggles as he kneels over to examine the damage. "Well, it's not that bad. It's not broken at least."
Jisung apologizes profusely, his eyes filled with worry.
"Ah, I've seen him do worse." Renjun sighs.
You let out a sigh of relief when you see the small split. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."
He stares at his hands in awe. "Ah, my hands. They're so clumsy,"
You smile at the innocence radiating off of his figure. You can't imagine being angry at someone like Jisung.
"Can I invite you to my party next week as an apology?" Jisung pipes up.
"Awe, you don't have to do that. It's fine, really."
"No, no," he waves a hand in the air as his eyes go large. "I don't mind. You were really cool at the last one. You were the life of the party."
"I was?" you scratch your head as you try to recall the foggy events.
"Yeah!! You and Jeno were going crazy on the dance floor. Haven was pretty pissed about it though. Weird."
You frown at the mention of Haven.
"But yeah, you should totally come. You and Jeno looked like you were having a good time."
"Jeno," Renjun mutters, a couple insults angrily rolling off of his tongue as he gets himself worked up all over again.
Chenle pipes in. "Renjun can be fun at parties too. And I bet __ would have a way better time with him than Jeno."
"Oh, I beg to differ," you counter. "This kid was glued to his phone the whole night. Where's the fun in that?"
"You've only seen me at a party one time," Renjun scoffs. "And you know I wasn't in a good place then. Give me the benefit of the doubt."
You give him an pointed look.
"C'mon, how bad could it be? Don't you want to go to a party with me?" he poses in a way that is so un-cool like as if to further prove his point.
You try to conceal the smile that is fruitfully trying to surface as Chenle starts to snicker.
"Y'know, now that I'm thinking about it, you two look pretty good together."
Renjun turns a shade of pink as he laughs awkwardly. "Chenle, please."
Your body stills at the bold remark. You can't wrap your mind around you and Renjun together. It wasn't a bad idea it was just...odd to think about. What on Earth did Chenle see between you that made him think of you as a couple? Wasn't it obvious you were into Jeno?
"We look good together...because" Renjun stutters to turn the situation around, "because we are the best partners to ever exist."
Just great. Renjun has somehow managed to turn an embarrassing moment even more embarrassing. You can't bear to leave your friend out hanging to dry so you agree with him, withstanding the urge to cringe.
Jisung stands there aloof, his mouth hanging open a bit. "Am I...missing something?"
"Nothing at all," Renjun assures him, tasseling his fluffy hair.
"This booth is pretty cool," Chenle says changing the subject. "It actually makes politics look fun. Can I sign up?"
"Really?? Wow, absolutely!" You clammer to pull out the sign up forms and Renjun stares at you curiously as you help Chenle. Jisung follows suit, declaring he wants to join too. You happily hand him a form as well, peeking over at Renjun to give him a thumbs up. His smile causes a burning flush to wash over you, an inexplicable warmth surging a wave of heat in this cold weather. Odd. Maybe you were coming down with a fever. You swiftly forget the feeling as Jisung calls for your attention with a question about the form.
After Chenle and Jisung move on, Sadie comes over and to your horror, so do your parents.
"Hey, sis!" Sadie exclaims, practically buzzing with excitement.
"Oh no," you slap a palm to your face. "How did you guys even know the fair was today?"
"Well you wouldn't tell me anything so I asked one of the kids I met one day after I dropped you off. He told me everything. Funny kid, really. I think his name was Haechan?"
"Haechan? Lee Haechan?" you dead pan.
"Think so," she chirps. "He tried to get my number, too. How cute."
"Not," you mutter under your breath.
"And you must be Renjun," Sadie steps forward to shake the boy's hand. "I'm __'s older sister, Sadie."
"Nice to meet you," he sends her a stiff but warm smile.
"It's nice to finally put a face to the name. You're quite handsome, actually."
You face begins to burn as you know she's referring to the time she saw Renjun the first time and you dismissed the idea of him being "cute". You stare at the side of her head but you know she can't see the warning look in your eyes as she continues to blabber on about his looks.
Renjun laughs and you could just tell he was going to tease you about this later.
"I've heard so much about you, Renjun."
He tilts his head a bit. "Really? What about?"
You clear your throat and Sadie finally gets the message.
"Um, so we actually just met Jeno," she announces.
You feel faint as the situation continues to get worse and worse. "Sadie!"
"Hey," she defends herself by stepping behind your parents who are looking absolutely clueless as to what's unfolding in front of them. "I'd never even seen the kid before, alright. It was completely unintentional!"
You can feel your skin crawling as your nerves begin to gnaw at you."Oh god," you groan.
"Before you freak out, I'll let you know we didn't do anything embarrassing--"
"Doubtful," you cut her off.
"He was walking with Haechan," she ignores your comment. "And he recognized me so he came over to say hi and then he introduced us to Jeno. Then of course, Jeno went out of his way to speak to mom and dad. He seems nice."
You try to relax. "Of course he seems nice. He's Jeno."
"He's cute too," Sadie muses.
"Sadie, just who is this Jeno boy? And why does it matter if he's cute or not?" your mom says in a pesky tone.
"Should I be concerned? Honey, did I just meet your boyfriend?" Your father inquires next.
Sadie covers you before you can stutter some lame answer.
"Relax, guys, he's just a friend. Isn't that great? __ is making friends now!"
Your parents accept Sadie's response without question as they always do and for once, you're grateful Sadie is there to be the buffer between your parents. They congratulate you on your new friends and go back to busying themselves with chatter about the school activities available for tonight.
"Well, I don't want to bother you anymore than we already have so we'll keep walking around and I'll be back to pick you up when you're ready."
You let out a breath of relief. "Ok, cool. Thanks."
"It was nice meeting you, Renjun. C'mon guys, let's get a move on!" she calls out to your parents.
She leans in to whisper in your ear. "I like Renjun better," and then her back is turned to you as she sends him a final wave. Then she's gone.
Your mouth hangs open in disbelief. You're not sure what to think. You're not sure how to feel. It's not like you're disappointed she doesn't see Jeno the way you see him but more so shocked on what she picked up on Renjun. Why would she like Renjun more than Jeno? You were sure Jeno was absolutely charming when they'd met. Every interaction with him felt perfect. It makes you wonder. And that is all you do for the next few hours. Wonder. Wonder about Renjun. Wonder about Jeno. You feel like there was something so obvious about all of this and yet, you feel utterly in the dark. Like everyone knows something you don't.
Renjun is a good friend. You're close now. The transfer from rivalry to friendship was rocky at first but after that it was easy. You already knew everything there is to know about each other you just decided to act nicer. Your feelings were getting all muddled now. You hated him for years then suddenly you didn't and now you didn't know what it is at all you felt towards him. You were sure it was friendly but now? You hardly knew what it felt like to have a friend; was it truly friendship you were looking for? And what about Jeno?
Your thoughts swirled as you tried to clear them away. You don't know anything about anything and all you want is to run back to Sadie to for advice but you're stuck here. You're stuck in more ways than one and you can't even begin to fathom that maybe you did like Renjun. As wild a thought that may seem, just a week ago the idea of even getting along with him seemed insane. What if you did like him? Could he ever like you the same way? You didn't want to lose what you had just gotten and you definitely didn't want to hurt Jeno.
Mr. Koffee pops up in his usual formal attire and you're greatful for the distraction.
"Wow! You two really went all out didn't you?" he studies the booth with a smile that you're not used to seeing.
"Thanks, sir." Renjun says as he gives you a discrete thumbs up.
You are reminded for the thousandth time that all of this transpired because of a school fair booth. If you had never volunteered for this, you'd probably be at home studying right now. Your life would've been the same mundane and depressing way it was before, spending your days loathing Renjun and having a heart full of resentment towards everyone and everything.
"Really nice work. The games must've been really popular! I see one of those fools has already managed to destroy something," he points at the crack in the bean bag game.
You stifle a laugh, remembering how much Jisung had beat himself up over the small thing.
"I knew I could trust you two. Look at all these sign ups!! Terrific! You two have gone above and beyond for this project. I'll stay here and hold down the fort. Enjoy the fair for a bit, alright?"
Renjun thanks him again before the both of you take off to find the rest of the guys.
"Congrats by the way," he says cheerfully. "I don't think I ever said anything about you getting named chief last week. So congrats."
His brown eyes bore into yours and an odd giddiness fills you. "Thanks."
"You deserved it from the beginning anyways. Everyone knows that role was perfect for you."
You find yourself stunned to a silence by Renjun's kindness. You thought by now you'd get used to this new relationship but every time something nice comes from the lips that used to be so full of spite it affects you in a way you can't put into words.
You thank him after way too long a beat and Renjun stops walking. You stop in your tracks to ask what's wrong but he starts first.
"Hey, you wanna do something after this?"
You know he's not asking you on a date but you still blush at the idea of being alone outside of school together.
"Sure."
His eyes crinkle when he grins at your reply. "How about pizza? To celebrate the booth's success."
Your stomach feels light and you blame it on your body's response to the mention of food.
"Sounds like a plan."
"Great."
There's an awkward pause.
"I think I found the guys," he points over your head and your eyes follow.
It seems like Chenle discovers you at the exact same time bc he's already smiling ear to ear. He says something you can't distinguish and everyone turns to look. Everyone looks pleased except for Jeno who is visibly irritated by Renjun's presence.
You make your way over to them and Jeno wraps his arm around your neck like he has done so many times before but for some reason this time feels different.
"Hey, beautiful. You up for some funnel cake?"
"Yeah, let's go," you lean into him as you part from the rowdy group.
Jeno directs you to the southern corner of the fair to the food stops. The mixture of sweet and savory fragrances in the air make your stomach grumble. You must've slowed down some once you laid eyes on the sushi stand because Jeno has to drag you away with promises to buy you some later.
There's a long line for the funnel cakes and you and Jeno wait together catching one another up on the events the other missed. Jeno promises to make this the best first date you've ever had. You neglect to tell him that you've never been on any other first dates because of how determined he looks.
He starts off by taking you by every booth and you play all of the games they have to offer. You lose most of them but you're having to good of a time to care. The energy around Jeno is so consuming, you find it hard not to get as wrapped up in the games as he is.
Next buys you hot chocolate to combat the freezing cold and a cone of wooly-looking cotton candy. You share the fluffy treat, observing the other students as the run wild, savoring the sugary-sweetness that melts on your tongue. The hot coco and Jeno's body heat keep you toasty as the temperature drops lower and lower. He presses his hot chest into your back close when a particular strong breeze picks up. You hear whispers of a storm coming from people passing by and you hope that it doesn't rain. You want this time with Jeno to last a little while longer.
There was something about the twinkly lights and bubble gum pop music blaring from the old speakers that made you feel like you were in a movie. You come across a claw machine and Jeno makes a beeline for it before you can even get a word out.
"This one," he taps against the glass. "I'm gonna get you this one."
You chuckle. "I can't tell which one you're pointing to."
"You'll see." He clicks his tongue as he pushes in a few coins and the machine music starts.
He wiggles his finger as if the flexibility in them will increase his chances of winning and grabs the joystick. It doesn't take long before the metal claw starts gliding around. Jeno makes odd screeching noises similar to a pig squealing that you didn't know he was capable of as the claw scoops up a white haired plushie and drops it into the hole.
"Oh yeah, baby. That's right," he says to no one in particular.
You have to admit you were impressed at his ability to be good at quite literally everything he does. He gently plops the toy into your hands, looking smug.
You take a closer look at it. "It's a Samoyed."
"Indeed. Everyone says I look like one when I smile, see?" His nose wrinkles as he shows you an exaggerated smile and your heart swoons.
"I can see the resemblance," you giggle.
He's smirking cheekily at you now, a hand snaking around your waist.
"Where to next?" you ask.
"The one place we haven't been yet,"
The Ferris wheel.
It was the only ride available at the fair. You smile to yourself as you start heading towards it, Jeno's arms holding you tightly from behind. The Ferris wheel wasn't huge but it wasn't small either. You were pleased to find the line was short and that this side of the fair seemed calmer.
You step onto the carriage when it's finally your turn and the cheesy whimsical music gets louder as the worker starts it up with a few pushes of a button. You look to Jeno to find him already watching you and it makes your face heat up. He takes hold of your hand as the carriage moves forward and you watch the school get smaller and smaller as you go higher. You never realized how big the school was but it really was huge. The people below became less audible as they shrink in size and Jeno pulls you closer now that you were away from any peering eyes and kisses you.
You're feeling loopy from having so much excitement in one night. You've had the best night in probably ever and yet you can't stop yourself from asking a question you know you probably shouldn't ask.
"Are you ever gonna tell me what happened with Renjun?"
Jeno's face hardens but it isn't anger that shows this time, it's sadness.
"Not tonight."
Your heart drops at his gloomy expression and you drop the topic immediately, realizing you've been prying all night. It really wasn't any of your business but it was hard to see them act so cold towards each other. You admired their friendship a lot and to see them behave this way was more than disheartening.
You shiver violently as the wind breezes over you and Jeno pulls something out of his pockets and shakes them. He then places two white objects in each of your hands. They're hand warmers. Jeno was always so thoughtful and kind to you it almost made you tear up for some reason.
You hug him briefly. "Thank you."
After the ride is over, you figure it's about time to head back to the booth. You've seen everything the fair had to offer and you had a good time with Jeno. You're sad to have to leave his side but on the other hand you were happy to meet back up with Renjun.
Jeno walks you back to the booth and you find Mr. Koffee there waiting for you.
"Did you have a good time?"
"The cotton candy here is great I must say."
He comes from around the kiosk with a look of exhaustion . "I'd go over there and try it myself but I'm drained. I'm glad you're here to set me free since Renjun left early. I'm off to go home now."
"Wait, he went home?" your exasperate, your voice laced with worry.
"Huh?" he adjusts his glasses to see you better. "He said he told you. He had to go home, he was feeling ill, he said."
You've heard that one before. Once again, Renjun disappears with no text or call with the same dumb excuse.
"That's not right," Jeno says to himself aloud. "I'm gonna call him."
"I'll text the guys to see if they know anything," you offer.
Mr. Koffee stays for a bit but leaves shortly after you and Jeno confirm from the guys no one has seen him. Jeno goes to search for him while you work the booth for the remainder of the fair.
You're worried out of your mind and you get an awful feeling that something is very, very wrong. You're distracted the entire time, too wracked with nerves to focus on your task. Your throat starts to ache and you feel like you'll burst into tears at any moment. You were sure this was about Jeno but what if it wasn't? What if he left without a word because you offended him somehow? You felt dumb and conceited for even considering it but nothing else made sense. The only way to find out what really happened was to ask.
So the moment the fair is over, you push through the turfs of wandering students and parents to race down street. There was one last place you haven't checked. There wasn't time to wait on Sadie to pick you up so you dash through the parking lot maneuvering through the large groups of families, colliding harshly with a few.
You're out of breath and your lungs are screaming in your chest. You push past the stinging of your legs and the fearful voice that rings in your head until Renjun's white picket fence comes into view. And that's all it takes for the pain in your body to subside. You sprint to his house, the cold air biting your cheeks and whipping your wispy hair about.
The gate is open when you finally reach his mailbox so you let yourself in. His house stands tall and you can see two figures moving in the windows. You start to second guess yourself but you've already ran all the way here and you were desperate to make sure he was okay. You didn't know if you were crossing a line by being here but you didn't care. You take in a heap of air to calm your beating heart before you ring the doorbell, smoothing over your wild hair. The moving shadows in the window freezes and a wave of anxiety crashes over you as they get closer and closer.
The door swings open, revealing a small middle aged woman with a deep set frown. Her acrylics taps on the door impatiently as she looks you up and down.
"Can I help you?"
Her voice is meek but is dripping in enough irritation that it causes you to stiffen. Her cold round eyes remind you a lot of the way Renjun used to peer down on you back when you didn't get along.
You clear your throat. "Hi, I'm sorry to bother you. Um, is Renjun home?"
She sneers as she brings a hand from behind the door to her chest, revealing an expensive looking wine glass. She brings it to her lips but doesn't take a sip.
"No. He isn't home yet. Maybe he's with his little friends. Ask them."
"Oh, okay. Sorry, again."
She doesn't say another word. Her pumps click against the tile as she shuts the door and walks away.
Your shoulders relax after she leaves and you throw your head in your hands. You had no idea his mother would be so...intense. You decide to get off of his family's property before his mom comes back out with that scary look in her eyes and try his cell one more time. It goes straight to voicemail and you let out a sound of frustration.
You walk leisurely back to the school this time around hoping you hadn't kept Sadie waiting too long. The school yard was mostly barren now, only a few stragglers were still hanging around while the cleaning crew picked up the loads of garbage left behind. Your eyes automatically go back to your booth and stop in your tracks when you notice Renjun breaking down the kiosk and cleaning up. You sigh through your nose as you make your way to him, your heart full of both anger and fear.
He notices your arrival prematurely and he awkwardly stares as you close in the distance between the two of you. The silence is deafening, your face is hot and the lack of guilt in his eyes made you furious. Finally, your standing in front of him, your lips aching from your teeth clutching them so harshly. You can tell he doesn't know what to say to you by the twitch of his lips and how he's wringing his fingers together.
"Renjun," you speak and his hands still at the softness of your tone.
"Where were you? I mean, where have you been? We looked all over for you. Why do you keep disappearing like that?? You're friends—" your voice rises in anger. "The people who care about you—searched and searched. No text, no call. Nothing. Jeno was going out of his mind trying to find you. "
You sigh again, your throat aching with the urge to cry again. "I was so scared something had happened. Something that I had done. I mean, did I...was there something I did to make you mad? If I did..."
A single snow flake lands on your nose and it distracts you long enough for Renjun to interrupt.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I—" his hands start fighting again. "I didn't know you cared that much. I didn't mean to worry you."
"We're friends now, remember?" Your hands enclose around his trembling ones and he relaxes, his lips curved in a frown.
"Friends." He repeats.
"I went to your house to see if you were there, you know."
He clicks his tongue with a roll of his eyes. "How did that go?"
"Your mom answered the door. She seems...nice."
He scoffs. "Yeah right. I doubt she'd care of if I'd actually go missing."
You wrap your arms around Renjun instinctively as you had done once before. He reacts quicker this time, his chin nuzzling your neck.
"That's not true," you barely whisper.
Snow is coming do faster now, some sticking into your hair and others melting the moment it contacts your skin.
"It's snowing," you say aloud. You try to pull back but Renjun doesn't let up.
"__" he calls.
His voice sounds so vulnerable, it catches you off guard.
"Yes?"
"There's something I need to tell you. Don't say anything until I'm finished, okay?"
You're a bit confused but you go along with it, hoping he'll reveal why he keeps running off without a word.
"This may sound crazy but, I realized once we started working on this booth together that you never hated me as much as you pretended to. For years, everything you did irked me and I wanted to make your life a living hell. Then I wanted to make it better. I wanted to make your life easier and I don't know how but things shifted and we became friends. I started to like you more than I thought was possible. And when I see you with Jeno, I get so angry inside—I didn't understand it. At least not at first...
I couldn't figure out why until it was too late. Chenle had been telling me to do this for weeks but I'm such an idiot. You were already so hung up on Jeno. I see the way you look at him. And he treats you better than I ever could. Hell, you might not even feel the same way. It's why I keep running away. I was scared of what I was feeling and even more scared of what those feelings would do to us."
His arms drop from around your shoulders and you're face to face now. Your heart caught in your throat, frozen at a stand still. "I'm sorry if this makes things awkward. We can still be friends after this I hope. I won't come in between you two, I promise."
His brown pupils stare into your barren ones, your face drained of all color. You feel queasy and the soft flurries of snow suddenly feels like shards of ice slicing you into pieces. You hardly noticed the urgency of the falling snow in between his confession but it was all you could see now. You felt cold. Everything was too loud. Your jumbled up thoughts stir your brain into scrambles and your legs start to tingle again.
Your brain finally clears and then there's only one thing on your mind. It's like your body gears into overdrive and then your running. All you can see is white but your body seems to know where to go as the shouts of your name become fainter and fainter. Snow meshes in with the tears streaming from your face as you sprint forward and don't dare to look back.
hi....are you still working on the jury is out series? I'm just curious.Are you still here?? cause your last post was like on Feb🙂
Yikes...hey there. Sorry about that :( I just haven't had the motivation to continue writing and got caught up with a personal project I've been working on. The Jury is Out has not been discontinued or anything like that but good news is your message has sparked some motivation for me. And also I feel like the smiley face at the end is low key a threat lol. So! I will be releasing the last two parts within the next two weeks. If it's not posted by then then you can hold me to it anon.
Hello dear! Is it asking too much for his worst nightmare part 2? I love your work❤
Hi, lovely! I’m considering it. I’ve never had this many ppl asking for a second part to something. I was planning to do an epilogue so it’s either that or a part 2. I’ll announce my decision when I finally make one lmao. Thanks for your support!
Hello :) it’s been a while hasn’t it? Here’s a sneak peak of something I’ve been working on since last summer. This piece is unfinished and I post updates pretty slow so read at your own risk!! You have been warned lol!
-
You slosh your feet around in the pale blue water, getting accustomed to the cold temperature. Haechan observes you from the other side of the pool, taking in your perfect figure and the way your bikini accentuates your amazing features. You sense his looming stare but pay him no attention, allowing him to check you out. Before you know it, Haechan is swimming over to you, and you bait your breathe in anticipation.
His head pops out of the water and he pushes his wet hair back to see you. "Can I ask you a question?"
You finally look at him, your heart melting immediately once your eyes make contact with his warm ones. He looked cute when he was wet but somehow still sexy.
"Of course."
"How come nothing’s ever happened between you and Mark? You both are pretty attractive and you look good together."
Your lips are stunned to a still. "Oh...umm," you giggle. "I guess we've been friends too long for me to see him that way. I'm not blind to his looks but...he's always been so...Mark. I don't know if that makes sense, sorry."
This seems to please him. "No, I think I get it."
You smile at each other briefly in a silence.
"So did you put that swimsuit on just to dip your toes in the water or did you actually plan on getting in?"
"Well I was going to get in but now I don't think I will," you respond playfully.
"Oh, you're getting in."
You splash a bit of water at him with your foot. "Nope."
Haechan sticks his tongue into his cheek with a deadly glare. "You did not just do that."
You kick the water again only for him to catch your foot and hook his arm around it. "I'm gonna make you regret doing that."
And then you're being dragged into the pool. It's as if you're being shoved into a bath of ice and you scream until your head is submerged. Water fills your ears and it reaches into every crevice of your two piece. You squeeze your eyes shut to stop the stinging from the chlorine and soon enough Haechan lifts you back up, his arms holding you bridal style.
You gasp for a much needed breath, the surprise attack leaving you winded. He looks down at you with a smug grin and you want to hit him in his chest but his arms are bound around you so tight you can barely move. You struggle against him and it makes him chuckle, seeing you so weak and defensless.
"You really think you're stronger than me?" He releases you and you latch onto him for balance only causing him to laugh harder.
"You're cute."
"Wow, two compliments in a row. First, you call me attractive and now I'm cute. I didn't know you had a crush on me, Haechan."
He moistens his lips with his tongue, his fingers combing your hair away from your face ever so gently. "I never hid my attraction to you."
You’re at a loss for words, never expecting him to state it so bluntly. If there was tension between you before you were quite literally swimming in a pool of it now.
hey love! are you still working on the jury is out series? it is absolutely my favorite fic to read right now 🥺💕 you are so talented!!! i am so excited for the next update if there is one hehe
Oopth 🥺 I didn’t see this message but yes!! The series is in the works last two chapters coming soon bby 🥰
You said you edited chapter 1-3 of the jury is out so I had to re-read them and im melting all over again 🥺🥺
Can you share how you feel about this series?
I have to say, I’ve grown really attached to this version of Renjun tbh. he’s pretty bratty in real life too so idk lol it’s some how different to me but I’m really excited on finishing the series. I’ve left it unfinished for way too long. when it’ll be out and over with idek what I’ll do with myself 🧍🏽♀️
You were used to working with the guy you despise most in the world on a day to day basis but one day all that changes when you have to work together after school for two weeks. Was it crazy to want to be friends with your enemy? Was it possible to be something…more?
A/N: Sorry about the slow uploads. I’m trying to work on my motivation to write rn :/ Hopefully the next part will be up soon!
➳Pairing: Renjun x Reader x Jeno (ft a few other Dreamies)
➳Genre: Angsty fluff but mostly angst lol basically enemies to lovers
➳Word Count: 5K
****STORY HAS BEEN RE-EDITED
You were used to working with the guy you disposed most in the world on a day to day basis but one day all that changes when you have to work together after school for two weeks. Was it crazy to want to be friends with your enemy? Was it possible to be something…more?
Part 1/5
Second Chapter
Requested? no bc y’all stay sleeping on my mans but anyways
The air is cold and frigid, causing you to zip up your bright yellow fleece jacket. You regret not bringing your coat, which you had left in your locker because you honestly didn’t think you’d need to wear one indoors but you didn’t account for the chill of the breeze outside to seep through the cracks of the classroom windows.
You clamp your teeth shut in an attempt to prevent them from chattering as you jot down the notes from the PowerPoint on the board. Normally, you’d be way too invested in the lesson to even notice the temperature but you were doing a dissection tomorrow so you had to learn all about the body parts of pigs. Pigs. As if the anatomy of pigs wasn’t straight forward enough.
Finally, the lesson neared its end and your anatomy teacher, Mrs. Brookes, clicks off the PowerPoint and you cram your notes into your overflowing folder.
“I’ve got an announcement, everyone,” calls Mrs. Brookes.
The class halts their movements to hear her speak.
“The end of the semester is here and that means finals and all that.”
The classroom groans in unison.
“Yes, yes I know! Boo, finals. But! With finals comes the new semester and that means college applications will be due! So, if anyone wants to get a head start on teacher recommendations—”
Your eyes snap across the room to peer at a “certain someone” only to find he was already glaring at you. Huang Renjun was the top of your class—always has been and probably always will be. Unfortunately, that made you second at everything which was unbelievably insufferable. You were smart, always did your work and gave 100% to everything you did but so did he. And he was always just a little bit better—just a little bit smarter than you and it made your blood boil.
You knew your destiny was to be a judge since you were three years old. You dreamt of wearing the flowy black gown and holding that beautiful wooden gabble as the whole courtroom looked to you, knowing the power you held. You wanted to be the best judge there ever was–a fair judge who brought justice to everyone and you had the perfect plan to do it. You would attend Oxford, get your degree in law, be a lawyer for a few years, five or six maximum and go from there. The only problem with that was that Oxford chose only one student from your school every year for their full-ride scholarship and it just so happened that the student at the top of your class wanted to go there too.
To put the cherry on top, Renjun also hated your guts. He made your life a living hell and often times he’d go out of his way to do so. You can’t remember when the spiteful behavior began but it had been so long it was comfortable. Sometime in middle school he’d had his sight set on you and you haven’t had a peaceful day since.
➳Pairing: Renjun x Reader x Jeno (ft a few other Dreamies)
➳Genre: Angsty fluff but mostly angst lol basically enemies to lovers
➳Word Count:4.6k
Hiiii guys! It’s been over a year since I started this series and this has taught me so many things. Mainly, how much I can not be trusted to start and finish a series lol. The last two chapters will be out soon. I really mean it this time.
Previous Chapter Next Chapter
There's an awful pounding in your head from the looming headache you didn't see going away anytime soon. Your over-bearing thoughts being added into the mix is plain unbearable as you wait for your first class to start and your sour mood only worsens when you recall the unfolding of yesterday's events. The strong sense of shame was overwhelming like a dark cloud hanging over your head. How did you get here? Your biggest mistake was letting your guard down to the likes of Renjun. That's where it all went wrong. You try telling yourself you don't need him as a friend. You have Jeno. But you can't silence the desire in your heart to have something more than a partnership. You'd gotten a taste of what's it like to be under the warm rays of his kindness after being on the receiving end of the endless blizzard of the cold reign he had over you and the entire school. That wasn't something you could just forget.
When Renjun arrives, he takes his place right next to you, unpacking his items as if it were the most normal thing in the world. You don't know why he isn't sitting in his usual seat when you didn't have a lab today. You frown but silently remove your bag from the chair next you, nonetheless.
He sits down eagerly, glancing at you a moment longer than socially acceptable. "I like your hair."
Your hands immediately grip the strands. After the party, you decided to forgoes the ponytail and headband combo that you'd been sporting for so long. "Oh, um, thanks."
Was that a compliment just now?
"Where were you yesterday, by the way?"
"I was sick, so I missed first period," he states, not even missing a beat.
Unbelievable. He's lying straight to your face. You frown distastefully.
"That's not what Chenle had to say."
"Hm? Chenle? He's always pulling pranks—I wouldn't buy anything that comes out of his mouth," he laughs.
You glare at him for a moment. "You didn't get my texts messages?"
He smiles sheepishly. "Oh...sorry about that. I was...um...busy?"
You turn the other way to discretely roll your eyes. "Are you okay at least?"
"Yeah, never better!"
You shake your head, not wanting to seem like you actually cared despite the fact that deep down you knew you did. It's crazy that all it took was one little afternoon alone together and suddenly Renjun matters to you. All those years of being at each other's throats out the window. Just like that. It was different now. You were more mindful of each other's feelings and it's even gotten to the point where you're receiving compliments. It was a change that you still hadn't adjusted to but maybe it wasn't as lousy as you made it seem. The horrible excuses and lies weren't something you were fond of but it's not like you were friends so you kept that to yourself. You just wished he'd tell you the truth or even hearing that he didn't want to talk about it would've been fine. You didn't see why he had to lie...
You had to remind yourself that you shouldn't be so concerned with Renjun. It was weirding you out that you were thinking about him so much lately. As much as you hated to admit it, you might've maybe felt something for him in that teeny split second after you made up on the field. You never really noticed how funny he was bc you were always the butt of the joke but it turns out he was pretty hilarious. And his voice was so sweet and calming you could probably listen to it forever. But whatever it was—that moment your heart skipped a beat— was gone. It was crazy to even think—there was no way you'd ever say that out loud. Clearly, Renjun would never reciprocate.
If only Haven could see you now.
Renjun turns his body toward you, giving you his full attention. "Are we meeting at the track after school?"
"I have volleyball practice but we can meet after, if you want."
"Yeah, cool," he says, looking pleased.
"Are you sure you're okay though?"
The question had been on your mind since yesterday. Maybe something happened with his dad and he didn't want to say anything. According to Jeno, he didn't talk about that stuff much but you still wanted to make sure he was okay.
"Huh?" he looks at you strange. "Yeah, I'm good."
"Are you sure? I mean, you can tell me if you're not." You regret the words as soon as they leave your mouth.
He snickers, his face glowing with a big smile. "Are you worried about me?"
You scowl to hide your panic. What was happening to you? "As if," you scoff.
"Aww, you care about me! Who knew the coldest person in the world had a heart?" he pinches your cheek.
You violently slap his hand away and he jerks back.
"Don't!" you point a finger in his face. "touch me. Never again. Got it?"
"Alright," Renjun chuckles lightly. "My bad. Whatever you say."
When class starts, the teacher pulls up her usual PowerPoint and you begin messily jotting down the first slide. She seems to be in a rush as she breezes over every slide, making it difficult to write down everything in time.
Renjun nudges your arm. You look to see him offering you a piece of gum. You reject it, mouthing a 'no thanks' with a polite smile and scramble to write down the rest of the slide. He purses his lips, taking a piece for himself, leisurely writing his notes.
A few minutes later, he nudges your arm again. "You got any led?"
Your nostrils flare as you let out a sigh, pulling out your pencil pouch for him to find the kind of led he needs. You pick your pencil back up to continue your notes.
"Thanks," he whispers. "Hey, did you get that last slide?"
"Oh my god, no, Renjun!" you whisper-shout at him. "How could I have gotten the last slide when you keep distracting me??"
He starts to giggle and it you get even more heated that he found pleasure in this. You're just to about to curse him out in every language known to man when Mrs. Brookes stops her lesson.
"What's going on back there?" she peers down her bi-focals to stare you down. "__, would you like to tell me what the main parts of the brain are?"
"Umm," you hesitate, your eyes scanning over the board. It must I've been on the last slide--which you didn't get the chance to copy thanks to Renjun.
Mrs. Brooks looks at you impatiently and the class turns to look at you as well when you take too long to answer.
"Cerebellum, frontal lobe, parietal lobe, cerebrum, and the thalamus," Renjun answers, ultimately saving your ass.
"Very good! Thank you, Renjun. Now, as I was saying..." Mrs. Brookes turns back to the whiteboard and continues rambling on about the brain.
"I thought you didn't get the last slide?" you whisper.
"Just because I didn't write it down doesn't mean I wasn't paying attention."
You stare at the side of his face in disbelief and you can tell by the way his cheeks were lifted he was smiling.
Renjun sits with you again in third period. You scoot your stuff over, once again saying nothing. This was getting a little too odd. If you weren't friends why did he keep sitting next to you? You weren't friends, were you? You decide not to ask. Sadie seemed like the right person to confide this type of stuff into.
Your desks were too close together which made Renjun's knee touch yours. You wouldn't have noticed any other time but this time in particular it was hard to not to.
"You should sit with me at lunch from now on."
Definitely getting mixed signals here.
"Why?"
"We're partners. It only makes sense, you know?"
"But we've been partners for years," you interject.
He opens his mouth then closes it. "Well, yeah that's true...but you still should. I won't force you to but I'll be really upset if you don't."
"Upset?" you repeat with a tilt of your head. In what universe would he get upset over anything you did that didn't have to do with you scoring higher than him on an assignment? You didn't understand why he was acting so weird today.
"Yeah and if I get upset, I won't be able to focus on the booth." his tone is sad and it tugs at your heart for some reason.
"Well...if that's the case, I'll do it. For the sake of the booth."
He smiles triumphantly. "Right. For the booth."
The kid who usually sits next to you walks over and stands there awkwardly before he finds an empty seat somewhere else. You try not to laugh at how uncomfortable Renjun looks.
Class goes by smoothly this time, Renjun only bugging you every once in a while to compare answers on your worksheet. When the bell rings, you and Renjun walk to lunch together. He's talking to you about the Pythagorean theorem but you keep getting distracted by the odd looks people keep giving you in the hall.
You weren't used to getting this much attention. You're existence was pretty much irrelevant unless something happened with your rivalry and it was usually only gossip worthy if he had done something incredibly embarrassing to you. Renjun, being the top of the class and being friends with almost all the members in the the school sports teams on the other hand, was very popular. You couldn't begin to imagine the confusion you two were causing just by walking to into the cafeteria together. He was always the center of attention and much like Sadie, he was born likeable. It was easy for him to make friends and juggle the delicate balance of having a social life and performing well academically. You were a nobody compared to him and up until now you were fine with that. It was easier to focus on your studies without the distractions from others and what drama friendships with others would bring but you had to admit having someone to walk to lunch with was strangely nice.
Jisung is the first person to see you coming, a look of recognition crossing his face. Chenle was next; he smiles sending you a friendly wave. You say hello, sitting your tray down next to Jeno and Renjun sits on the other side of you.
"Hey, beautiful, what're you doing here?" Jeno asks.
You flush at the pet name. "I think as Renjun's partner, we should take advantage of the free time we have to work together."
"Oh god, you two are so much alike," Haechan groans.
"I think it's cute," Chenle beams.
Jaemin fake gags and everyone bursts into laughter except for you who didn't find it all that funny.
The laughter dies down.
"Will you be spending all of your free time with Renjun?" Jeno asks.
"Of course not," you wrinkle your nose at the silly question.
"In that case, would you like to go out on a date? How's tonight?"
You drop your carton of milk on the table that thankfully you hadn't opened it yet. You must've misheard him. You know the words he said to you and yet, you couldn't believe they were meant for you. Your stammer for words. Any words. But they don't come and the whole table is staring at you in anticipation.
"I...can't. I have practice after school and then I have to work on the booth. I'm sorry."
The boys "ooh" in unison like a bunch of fifth graders.
"It's not like that!" you scramble to fix your words. "We can go another day?"
Jeno's eyes disappear as he gives you the most heartwarming smile. You can't help but smile back at him.
Chenle clears his throat. "What do you think about that, Renjun?"
Renjun's picking at the edge of his foam tray when he shrugs. "I couldn't care less."
Chenle gives him a glare as if he's trying to convey some message to him but Renjun doesn't meet his eyes so he elbows the crap out of him.
"Argh!" he rubs his arm. "Fine. I admit I don't approve."
The table gets quiet. You and Jeno share the same expression of surprise.
Jeno juts out his chin. "Why not? And don't say she's too good for me."
"Renjun clenches his fists. "It'll distract __ from school and I don't think that's what she wants."
Jeno snorts. "It's just one date. I think she'll be fine. And when we do become a couple—which we will, I'll make sure of that—I won't distract from her school work."
"Yeah, but I don't think—"
"Plus, you used to have a girlfriend—what's the difference?"
The atmosphere tenses at the mention of Haven and Jeno looks sorrowful as the boys send him ferocious looks.
"Shit...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to--"
"When does practice end?" Renjun changes the subject.
You're still confused as to what's going on. "Who? Me?"
"Yes, you, dummy," he grins.
You ignore the fact that he just called you a dummy. "It ends at four but I can leave early."
"Mind if I come and watch?" Jeno asks.
"Sure!" you get excited at the thought of Jeno watching you play.
"No fair! I wanna come too!" Jisung exclaims.
Jaemin reaches out to pat him on the shoulder. "Absolutely not. You're not going anywhere near those girls, you pervert."
You crack up at the two, unaware of the concerned look Chenle's giving Renjun as he silently scribbles dark circles in his notebook.
-
You arrive to the school gym, hauling the equipment the coach had you fetch. The girls are all huddled in a circle, gossiping most likely. You set up the net and clear the court of the smelly matts that were left behind from a previous class. You could ask for help but you were sure no one wanted to.
You break up their little party after you get another text of instructions from the coach.
"Ladies, coach says she's not coming until the end of practice so we're starting without her. Let's start stretching, okay?"
The girls spread out and begin to warm up and you join them. Everyone's following instructions except for Haven, who's still standing in the same spot.
"Haven," you say in a warning tone.
"Why can't we just hang out until coach gets here? She doesn't have to know."
Her smile is innocent but you know there's nothing innocent about the girl.
Everyone agrees, the room filling with murmurs.
You already sense anger rising in your body. It seems like every time Haven opened her mouth, it was always to go against you. Maybe her and Renjun were the perfect couple after all.
"Guys, c'mon. If we slack off, we'll throw the next game and lose our winning streak."
"No way, skipping one day of practice won't cost us some measly game. You're being a little dramatic, don't 'ya think?"
"Some measly game?" you repeat.
"You don't even care about winning. Haven, you don't care about this team at all—why should any of us listen to you? I am captain of this team, in case you've forgotten."
"Oh god here we go again," she sighs. "That's just a title. That doesn't make you the boss of me."
"Oh, yes it does. I can get your ass kicked off the team with one word. Coach trusts me, all I have to do is say it. Should I have a chat with her when gets here?"
Haven gets as red as a tomato, her lips poking out in an ugly pout. You almost laugh at how childish she is. It was a mystery how people adore her so much when she's got such an ugly attitude.
"Since you all agree with Haven, let's do ten laps. C'mon."
Everyone gives Haven dirty looks as they get up and start their laps.
"Let's go girls, I'd like to get this over with so we can start practice." you clap your hands to speed them up. "And Haven? You get an extra ten laps."
Haven flips you off before she runs off but you don't really care. At least, she was listening to you for once. You hear a door slam upstairs and Jeno struts in, taking a seat at the back of the bleachers. He's smiling as he waves to you, giving you a thumbs up. You can't help but match his smile as you wave back.
When everyone's finished their laps and done their stretches, you split them into two teams. You're opposing Haven's team and boy, do they suck. They're losing embarrassingly bad and you're not even the one who's hitting the ball. One of your best players, Sana, was dragging the other team through the mud. Mina and Momo always made sure the ball got passed to her and when she swung her fists, the ball connected with the ground every time. Haven hated lots of things but you knew most of all, she hated to lose. This was the only reason you haven't kicked her off yet. She wasn't the best player—not even close—but she did like to win. You don't know what made her join the team in the first place but she did and she always tried to win when it really came down to it.
You switch positions on both sides, you serving the ball this time. You throw the ball up high, spreading your fingers apart as you raise your hand and slam your palm against it so hard, there's a loud thud that echoes through the gym. The other team throws themselves to save the ball but their efforts are in vain. The ball is too fast for them. Applause comes from the top right corner of the room and everyone turns to look at Jeno. You pretend you don't notice him, calling the ball back but your flushed face exposes you anyway.
Jeno whoops and cheers every time you scored a point, and let's be real, with the skills you have, that means it happens a lot. You never had someone who wasn't your parents or your coach cheer you on like this and it was something you found you really enjoy. You could get used to this. For a moment you let yourself imagine him attending your future games. Your stomach fills with butterflies and you could almost hear him calling your name when you dive to save the ball.
"Why's Jeno here?" Haven whispers to to one of her friends. "Since when was __ close to Jeno?"
You smirk, waving Jeno over after letting everyone take a short break. The two of you laugh and talk for a bit, ignoring the cold stare Haven's giving you in the distance. She was in a bitchy mood today and you weren't going to let that ruin your time with Jeno. Her witchy attitude has peaked since the first time Renjun invited you to his table. Maybe she was jealous. She probably was still hurting from the break up you assumed but that had nothing to do with you.
-
Jeno walks you to the track field where you find Renjun, who's already gotten a head start. His jacket is thrown over his bookbag and you take notice for the first time how toned his arms are with his sleeves rolled up. He looks up when hears your footsteps, the smile on his face slowly fading when he notices Jeno next to you.
"Oh great. What are you doing here?"
You laugh at his displeased expression. "He's just leaving, calm down."
"Actually," he interjects. "since I'm here, why don't I stay and help out?" Jeno proposes.
"Oh!" you let out an excited squeal you didn't know you were capable of. "That's great idea! Yes!"
"Absolutely not!" Renjun rolls his eyes. "Go home, Jeno. You'll just get in the way."
Jeno juts his bottom lip out and you have to keep yourself from swooning at how adorable he looks.
"Renjunie!" he whines. "I promise not to get in the way. Let me help?"
You give him pleading eyes behind Jeno's back. Renjun looks at you and grunts, muttering something inaudible as he starting hammering away at a slab of wood a little too hard.
"Yes!" Jeno takes off his jacket and gets to work.
"This is a one-time thing," Renjun declares, his back turned to the both of you.
"Right, right, got it," Jeno quickly agrees. "Let me help you with that," he runs over to carry the bucket of paint you were holding.
You watch him lug the heavy object to the table. "Oh, thanks, but I had it."
Renjun rolls his eyes again.
You find him repeatedly trying to get Jeno to go home as you work. Each and every time Jeno would laugh it off, calling him grumpy. You could tell his mood was off but you didn't want to bother him by asking why. He never told you those kinds of things anyway so why go through the trouble of asking? He never laughs when Jeno makes one of his famous jokes and he doesn't look at you when you speak to him. You wish he wouldn't be such a fun killer but he was almost always like this—even at parties, you've come to find out.
When you start to lose daylight, you decide to call it quits for the day.
"I think we can wrap up for now," you beam. "We're nearly finished thanks to Jeno."
Renjun's bag is already slung over his shoulder by the time you finish your sentence. "See ya."
"Yeah...I'll see you," you trail off as he sprints down the field.
"What's his problem?" Jeno asks aloud.
You shrug just as your phone starts to jingle that annoying ringtone you set it to over a year ago. You dig it out of your back pocket and read the caller ID. It's Sadie.
"Hello?'
"Hey! Listen, I'm so, so, sorry, I totally spaced about picking you up after school. I'm out with Jodie right now."
You can't help the displeased noise that comes from you at the sound of Jodie's name. "That's cool, I guess. I can just walk like I usually do."
"Are you sure? We can come and get you in about twenty minutes."
"We? Yeah, no thanks. I promise, I'll be fine."
"I promised mom and dad I'd pick you--hold on. Jodie, I'm on the phone...what?"
There's whispering then a short silence on the other line and you give Jeno an awkward smile.
"Um, okay, be safe walking. Sorry again! Bye!"
Click.
"So, you're walking home today."
"Yep. My sister conveniently forgot about my existence, so yeah, I'm walking."
Jeno's eyes light up. "Do you live close by? I can walk you home."
Your chest fills with warmth at the gesture. Lee Jeno. You had Lee Jeno offering to take you home. Renjun's bad attitude had left a nasty taste in your mouth but hanging out with Jeno sweetened your day just like that.
Renjun had a way of hurting you in ways no one else could. You didn't know why what he thought of you was so important to you, or why everything he had to say held such a huge weight. He wasn't exactly someone you were very fond of so who cares what he had to say? But Jeno. Jeno always had kind and encouraging words. He was the safe band-aid you needed after being cut by Renjun's blunt words. His razor sharp tongue and eyes for daggers always stung but Jeno protected you. He defended you.
So you say yes to his offer and you make the bold move of linking your elbows which Jeno reacts with a subtle pink tint in his cheeks. Your pace is slow to lengthen the journey, allowing you a chance to get to know each other a bit more.
As time progresses, you realize you had liked Jeno more than you initially thought you did. School had always kept you from exploring your feelings for him. Now, it was clear as ever how you felt about him. You'd turn into a bashful mess at every single flirty comment he'd make, which would only fuel him to flirt harder. He made good company and you wished you hadn't have waited so long to speak to Jeno. You couldn't remember the last time you were this engaged in a conversation with someone--disregarding the one time with Renjun because he's a jerk.
If this is what it's like to have a friend, you had been missing out all these years. He made you feel warm inside like those cheesy rom-coms Sadie loved so much.
His arm was tucked snugly into yours, your steps matching in pace as you neared the street you lived on. You could smell the pleasant fragrance Jeno wore from the close proximity and it brought you back to the night you were drunkenly dancing together. You still couldn't believe you drank alcohol but then again, who lives by a code of conduct in high school? Who was going to punish you for acting your age for once? On second thought your parents would probably ground you for life but that's not the point. The point is you're starting to learn what fun is. If you can't be the best then what's stopping you from enjoying life while you're still young? Looking at Jeno in the stark red haze the sky is dawning on him made you want to do just that. He made you want to live a normal life.
You playfully bump each other, cracking jokes until you reach the driveway of your residence with hesitance. You weren't ready to depart just yet.
"Well," you remove your arm from his. "This is me."
"Aww," he sigh a little. "Well it was nice walking with you."
"Yeah, you too. I'd invite you inside but no one's home and my parents would crucify me if I let you in."
You hadn't realized it but in the few seconds you had looked away, Jeno had gotten closer. Really close. You feel a rapid heat spread all over and you struggle to keep a normal expression.
Jeno smiles before grabbing your elbow to yank you even nearer, his eyes studying yours as he speaks his next words to you carefully.
"Do you wanna kiss me?"
Your mouth goes dry and all you could do is nod, numbly.
He cracks another smile and you were instantly mesmerized by the way his lips curls over his teeth and the thought of how his lips would feel on yours. Your heart stills for a moment. You shut your eyes with baited breath as his lips gets closer to yours.
Slowly, very slowly he kisses you. It was an odd but welcoming feeling, kissing a boy. But you liked it. And you liked Jeno.
Jeno removes himself from you after a few amazing seconds. You're still incredibly close to him and you can tell he's tempted to kiss you again but he holds himself back.
"Text me?"
You nod, maybe a little too eagerly but you didn't care. The hot temperature of his lips left a lingering impression on you and you had a feeling you won't ever be able to rid yourself of the memory.
He holds up a hand before he jogs off down the pale path of the sidewalk, unintentionally leaving you with a mass of confused and excited thought and a small voice in the back of your brain that wouldn't shut up about Renjun and his recent odd behavior.
I NEVER THOUGHT I'D SEE THE DAY!! 🤣🤣 Hahahah! My jaw dropped when I saw the update and I was defineitly not expecting that ending!!! Jeno is super sweet and Someone's gonna be VERY jealous 🤪 Ahhhhhh I'm so excited!!! Thank you thank you thank you for the update! ❤❤
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