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Jeno huffed for what felt like the thousandth time in the past five minutes alone. He shoved his hands into the pocket of his hoodie and rocked on his feet, torn between craning his neck to look for his sister or to curl up in a ball right there in the middle of the venue and disappear from the crowd of screaming girls. He grunted when an elbow dug into his ribs, suppressing the urge to just cry in frustration.
Today was a nice day, a great day even. The sun was shining brightly, the sky a beautiful shade of blue, with no clouds in sight. Jeno was planning on spending this very nice day in front of his computer, playing games with his friend Donghyuck until late at night since there was no school tomorrow, a tub of his favorite mint chocolate ice cream accompanying him. He had planned everything down to the T. That was until his she-devil of a sister barged into his room, a maniacal grin on her face, and ruined it.
Now here Jeno was, smack dab in the middle of a large crowd of girls, all buzzing impatiently to see Na Jaemin, rapper, singer, dancer, and actor extraordinaire, according to the Wiki page Jeno had read on the way to the venue.
See, here's the thing. Jeno didn't know anything about Na Jaemin. Except that he's the idol and actor his sister coos and screams over every time he shows up on their TV screen. That very same sister had dragged him out of the house to attend this stupid fan meet event Na Jaemin's agency held to promote his second full album upcoming repackage. At least that's what Jeno's sister said to him. And all in the name of getting a glimpse of Na Jaemin in real life. Along with his autograph and a picture with him, if they were lucky, but frankly, Jeno didn't care. At all. What he cared about though, was where the fuck was his sister?
His sister, who was supposed to be here with him. Yet as soon as they arrived at the venue, she disappeared to God knows where, her ticket shoved into Jeno's confused hands.
Jeno grunted again when someone stomped on his foot. He wriggled his foot, making sure his toes were still attached, while taking out his phone. Calling his sister was out of the question, with how loud the crowd was, she wouldn't be able to hear him, and vice versa. So he sent her a quick text, telling her to hurry her ass up considering the fan meet was about to start.
With a crackle, the many speakers around the venue, along with the crowd, suddenly came to life, causing Jeno to almost drop his phone. He quickly put it in his pocket, and paid attention to the man entering the stage. At first, he thought it was Na Jaemin, but the man started to open the meet without any special reactions from the crowd, so Jeno concluded that he was the MC. Deeming it not important, Jeno went back to trying to contact his sister, sending her a string of high key panicked messages, that was until the crowd suddenly exploded into screams, startling him. Jeno was sure the noise would haunt him in his sleep for nights to come.
Looking up at the stage, Jeno saw what must be the most beautiful person he's ever seen, and that was saying something since his friend Mark's older brother Taeyong was the definition of an angel. The young man had caramel colored hair, the golden strands styled in soft curls and falling over his eyes, making him look young and sweet. His eyes were dark and round, reminding Jeno of a bunny's.
The caramel haired boy was clad in a light blue jersey-like Louis Vuitton t-shirt, paired with simple white pants. Blue and white Nike shoes adorned his feet. Along with his hair, his outfit as a whole gave him a youthful and playful vibe. Jeno thought he couldn't look any cuter, but then his plush looking pink lips that were set in a smile turned into a grin and wow, Jeno was practically blinded by his pearly whites. And honestly, he could kind of see why these girls would go crazy over him.
"Hi everyone!" Na Jaemin excitedly greeted into his microphone, blinding grin never leaving his face as he waved at his adoring fans. "Thank you so much for coming today!"
The screams got louder. Shouts of 'I love you!' and 'You're so handsome!' could also be heard, and Jeno was sure someone was sobbing their heart out. Na Jaemin didn't even blink though, in fact, his grin got bigger than Jeno thought was physically possible. The girl next to Jeno swooned. Thankfully, the MC cut in before any more swooning could happen.
"Alright everyone, a few lucky fans are going to be called up to take a picture with Jaemin," the MC announced, much to Jeno's building horror. "We'll use the numbers on your tickets, so please make sure you have them ready and match the numbers correctly!"
The venue got a bit quieter as everyone scrambled for their tickets, including Jeno. He anxiously looked around, trying to find his sister among the sea of girls, but he couldn't find her. He got some dirty looks from the girls surrounding him for fidgeting around, so he flashed them a sheepish smile, the one that made his grandma instantly forgive him after breaking her favorite vase, and settled down, keeping his elbows and feet close to himself.
The MC read out the first string of numbers, and not even a moment later, the lucky fan screeched. Jeno saw a girl around his age ran up to the stage, grin blinding as she hugged Jaemin, looking tiny next to him. They talked for a bit, Jaemin signing the poster she brought and the one she got from this event. The cameraman signaled that he was ready, and the two got into position, hugging each other sideways, free hands throwing a peace sign. The fan thanked him and shakily left the stage, the girls around her congratulating her.
The second fan called up was a young mother with her two children, a boy and a girl, and Jeno's mind went back to a few weeks ago, when he half listened as his sister ranted to him about Jaemin's new role in a kids' show, and the opening song he performed for it.
Jeno involuntarily smiled as Jaemin crouched down to their level, smile soft as he interacted with them. He signed their posters and took a picture with them, staying crouched on the stage and hugging both of them, smile toothy. And Jeno honestly thought it looked absolutely adorable. Before the kids could leave, he said something to the MC who immediately left the stage, only to come back with two matching white bunny plushies. He gave them to the kids and laughed as he got more hugs in return, getting screams and coos from the whole venue. He waved as the kids happily left the stage with their mother.
The third fan was another girl around his age. She nervously walked towards the stage, and Jaemin shouted out encouragements at her, prompting the other girls to do so too. When she finally reached the stage, she broke down crying. The venue fell into silence as Jaemin comforted her. He smiled softly and hugged her, murmuring something in her ear. Jeno felt something warm settle in his chest as he watched Jaemin comfort her gently.
The girl eventually calmed down, and the crowd cheered for her causing her to laugh slightly. Jaemin signed her poster and then they took a photo. The girl's eyes were slightly red and damp, but her smile was bright. Just as she was about to leave, Jaemin hugged her one more time, a soft smile on his face as it seemed like he was telling her something. The girl nodded and bowed her head, thanking him. She left the stage and was greeted with cheers and hugs from the other girls.
Jeno blinked as the fourth fan was called up. He had expected another young adult girl, and was quite surprised to see a woman old enough to be his grandmother. It seemed like everyone else was just as surprised as he was, since the venue was quite silent. Even Jaemin seemed startled, that was until his confused expression turned into a wide, toothy smile. He rushed to help the old woman climb up the stairs, snapping the crowd out of their daze.
The crowd cooed as Jaemin got a stool for the old woman, and his grin widened as she thanked him, gently patting his cheek. The both of them talked for a while, looking like they could be an actual grandma-grandson pair, and Jeno resisted the urge to coo along with the crowd. Then, Jaemin suddenly teared up, and the crowd fell silent again, this time panicking why their beloved idol was crying. But the idol in question didn't even notice. He kept crying while the old lady comforted him.
The caramel haired boy calmed down after a while, hugging the lady. She laughed softly and gently patted his back, saying something. Jaemin stopped crying entirely, and gave her a small smile. Jaemin signed her poster and the item she brought that Jeno couldn't see from his spot. They took a picture together. And even with red rimmed eyes, Jaemin still looked beautiful in Jeno's opinion. The old lady left the stage but not without Jaemin waving cutely after her, much to the crowd's delight.
Jeno saw the MC subtly wiping his eyes before clearing his throat and speaking into his microphone. "Alright everybody. This will be our last lucky fan for today!" the MC said, picking a random rolled up paper from the giant bowl next to him and reading it.
Jeno felt the cold sensation of dread settle in his stomach as the numbers were read, one by one, until the whole seven digit combination is completed. The numbers on his ticket matching up perfectly with the ones the MC announced. Jeno couldn't believe this was happening. He stood still like a deer in headlights even as a murmur rippled throughout the crowd, everyone wondering who got it. The girl that swooned earlier noticed his frozen state and peeked at the ticket in his hands, gasping.
"You got it!" she exclaimed, loudly. As one, the girls around him turned to him and began to gently push him towards the stage.
"W-wait!" Jeno protested, panic growing in his chest, but the girls ignored him.
Step by step, he got closer to the stage, the girls making a way for him and pushing him to the front. Hopeless in the face of their determination, Jeno let himself be pushed and looked up at the stage. His breath was promptly punched out of his lungs when he saw Na Jaemin standing there, positively beaming at him. It was as if a switch was flipped, and without realizing it, Jeno walked the rest of the way on his own, like he was under a trance. He was right in front of the idol in no time, and Jeno felt his stomach flipping in nervousness.
"You look like a cotton candy," was the first thing Na Jaemin said to him.
Jeno nervously tugged at his hair that he had impulsively dyed bright pink a week ago after losing a bet to Donghyuck. His eyes widened, his bright pink hair... that matched with his pink hoodie. His new pink hoodie that had the words 'hentai or die' written on it. Mortified, Jeno ducked his head, too embaraseed to face Na Jaemin any longer, even though they didn't even know each other. He really wanted the ground to swallow him whole. He could already hear Donghyuck cackling gleefully at him.
"A-ah, it was a compliment," Jaemin hurried to say after seeing Jeno's reaction, afraid that he had offended him. "You look cute," he blurted out and promptly blushed, he couldn't believe he just flirted with a fan like that. Manager-hyung would scold him to death. The crowd roared in excitement at seeing their idol blush in front of a cute guy.
Meanwhile, Jeno was internally screaming after hearing Na Jaemin said that he was cute. Forgetting about his hoodie, he lifted his head a little, not noticing the amount of phones recording his adorable interaction with the idol, and asked at the caramel haired boy. "Really?"
Jaemin nodded aggressively, causing Jeno to giggle. He smiled his infamous eye smile at him, the one he knew his parents and his friends' parents and practically everybody's parents melt at, and was startled to hear the crowd cooing loudly. He looked around, feeling a lot like the confused puppy his sister always said he was.
"Don't worry. They think you're cute, Cotton Candy Boy," Jaemin said with a wink.
Jeno playfully glared at him, a mock scowl on his lips. "You're one to say, Caramel Haired Boy."
The idol let out a surprised laugh, pearly whites flashing. "Caramel, huh?"
"Yep. Caramel. A sweet for a sweet," Jeno said, referring to their ridiculous nicknames.
"Well if you told me your name, I would gladly use it."
Jeno paused. It felt a lot like they were flirting, and Jeno was kind of afraid to continue. He stared at Jaemin's smiling face for a moment, noticing that the young idol was the same height as him and that he looked downright ethereal up close. 'Well, you only live once, Lee Jeno. What're the chances of you getting to flirt with an angel like this ever again?' Jeno thought to himself.
"It's J-Jeno. Lee Jeno."
"It's nice to meet you, Jeno," Jaemin said, a small smile on his lips. "I honestly didn't think there would be any male fans today, so I'm really glad that you decided to come."
"I'm glad I came too," Jeno replied quietly as he watched Jaemin taking a poster from the stack next to him and signing it. He carefully rolled it and put it inside a cardboard tube while Jeno fidgeted. Now that he was up here instead of watching from the sidelines, he was unsure of what to do.
"Shall we take the picture now?"
Jeno nodded quickly, and they both got into position. They stood side by side, and Jeno could feel the other's warmth seep into his skin. He jumped when he felt a warm hand settle on his waist, pulling him close.
"Is this okay?" Jaemin asked him, breath fanning against his ear.
Jeno could only nod and hoped that his face wasn't as red as he thought it was. He saw Jaemin doing a peace sign with his free hand out of the corner of his eye and decided to do the same, eyes forming half-moons as he smiled. The cameraman adjusted his camera for a moment before taking their picture. He checked it and gave them a thumbs up. They broke apart, but Jeno could feel the warmth from Jaemin's hand lingering on his side.
"It was really nice to meet you, Jeno," Jaemin said, voice and smile warm. Jeno smiled back. He opened his mouth, about to reply, but Jaemin cut him off before he could. "Can I... Can I hug you?" the idol hesitantly asked.
Jeno's brain short-circuited but he managed to nod, and Jaemin wound his arms around him. Jeno froze, unsure of what to do, but before Jaemin could pull back, Jeno hugged him back, circling his own arms around Jaemin's back. The other was warm and he smelled good, like freshly laundered sheets and coffee. Jeno practically melted, subconsciously nuzzling into him. They stayed like that for a moment before pulling away, Jaemin with a small, satisfied smile and Jeno with a blush matching his hair and hoodie.
"Thank you for everything today," Jeno said as he accepted the poster Jaemin gave him. The idol grinned in response.
"It's me who should thank you," Jaemin countered. "You coming here really made my day. So thank you."
Jeno smiled brightly and turned to left the stage, but before he could, Jaemin called him back. Turning around, he saw the idol holding a bunny plushie similar to the one he gave the kids earlier, but instead of white, this one was a light pink. And significantly larger. Actually it was large enough to hide half of Jeno as Jaemin transferred the bunny into his arms. The crowd cooed as Jeno popped his head around the large bunny, sending Jaemin a bewildered look and looking like a cute pink puppy.
"To remember me by," the idol said with a wink.
Jeno giggled, hugging the bunny close. "I don't think anyone could forget someone like you, but thank you, Jaemin-ssi. Good luck on your repackage!"
"Thank you! Make sure to vote for me!"
Jeno finally left the stage and got a round of cheers and congratulations from the girls around him. He grinned at them, and the shouts got louder. Luckily, before he could get overwhelmed, a staff came and led him away from the commotion. He glanced back at the stage, and caught Jaemin's eyes. The idol waved and Jeno smiled in return, following the staff to a small tent set up near the exit of the venue. There, another staff gave him a paper and told him to write down his name, address, and phone number. He set his new bunny and poster down and quickly filled the form, giving it back to the staff as soon as he was done.
"Thank you. Your picture should arrive within seven work days. If it hasn't arrived after seven days, you can contact us here," she gave him a business card and Jeno nodded.
"Thank you."
Jeno thanked all the staff members inside the tent and left, bunny and poster back in his arms. He waddled his way out towards the exit of the venue and bumped into someone. Panicked, he popped his head out from behind the gigantic bunny, a string of apologies falling from his lips, only to pause at seeing his sister.
"There you are!" Jeno exclaimed. "I've been looking everywhere for you! I even got picked!"
"I saw. You got picked. Using my ticket."
Jeno sputtered at his sister's pissed off tone. "Well what was I supposed to do?! You left me!" Jeno knew he was whining but he couldn't exactly help it. His sister had singlehandedly caused him a lot of undue stress today.
The sister in question rolled her eyes, turning around from him and starting to walk away, Jeno at her heels. "Don't pretend that you didn't like it, Jeno-yah," she drawled. "I saw you since Jaemin winked at you. You two were flirting."
Jeno stumbled behind her. "We weren't!"
She scoffed. "Whatever. You better thank me in your wedding speech."
"Noona!"
×-×-×-×-×
Jeno didn't really know what to expect, but seeing Donghyuck lounging around on his bed as soon as he got home shouldn't even be surprising anymore. They've been friends since they were in diapers and Donghyuck lived only a block away, so this wasn't exactly the first time it happened. What was different though, was how Donghyuck was wheezing at his phone, looking like he was about a breath away from death.
Jeno should probably be worried. But c'mon. This was Donghyuck. Even Satan himself wouldn't want him down in Hell. He'd be a threat to his position as the King.
"What's got you wheezing like an old man now, Hyuck?" Jeno asked as he put his stuff down. The giant bunny was lovingly laid down in his beanbag chair, while the tube of poster was set down on his desk, next to his computer.
Donghyuck didn't respond. The brown haired boy kept cackling so Jeno left him to change his clothes. He got out of his jeans and hoodie, hanging them up behind his door and replacing them with sweatpants and a ratty old t-shirt that he was half sure belonged to his cousin Johnny since he's practically drowning in it.
Walking out of his room, Jeno went to the bathroom to clean up before continuing to the kitchen to get some ice cream and chocolate milk. Hands full, he went back to his room, and was glad to see that Donghyuck had calmed down. The younger boy immediately cackled again as soon as he caught sight of Jeno though.
"What? Is there something on my face?"
"J-Jeno," Donghyuck wheezed, falling off the bed. "Jeno, l-look. You're trending," he shoved his phone into Jeno's face, and Jeno went cross-eyed trying to see it. Putting down the items in his hand, Jeno took the phone and read the Twitter page it was displaying.
STREAM GLITCH MODE @nananananajeman
just saw jaemin busting out the biggest uwu for this cute pink fanboy
pnkfnbywhruat @sodiumjaemin
oh to be jaemin and be able to gaze into those puppy eyes🥺🥺
nanascutefanboysfangirl @bunbunnana
if i were jaemin i woulda propose to him right there
-> nana ⁰⁸ ¹³ @jaemgotjams
Replying to @bunbunnana
mood😩✊
UwUsforpinkfanboy @nanaism
DID YOU GUYS SEE HOW HE DISAPPEARED BEHIND THE BUNNY PLUSHIE?!?!??!? HE LOOKED SO CUTE IM DEVASTATED😭😭😭😭
-> NA JAEMIN SUPERIORITY @bububunny
Replying to @nanaism
IKR???? hes babie🥺
GLITCH MODE 100M VIEWS @jaeminification
man, jaemin mustve got a heart of steel or sumn. if pink fanboy smiled at me like that, i would simply ✨A S C E N D✨
scratch that @jaeminnanadoongie
i know hes cute and all, but did you see his hoodie????
-> you're that bitch (fond) @wowsosexyyy
Replying to @jaeminnanadoongie
I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO NOTICED😭😭
-> pnkfnbywhruat @sodiumjaemin
Replying to @jaeminnanadoongie
he really looks like this🎀💖💕🌸💗💓
while his hoodie says hentai or die💀💀
Jeno scrolled further and found more and more tweets about him, most of them with pictures or videos from the fan meet attached. A blush slowly crept up his neck as he read the litany of praises the tweets said, sprinkled with some mortification as he saw that people noticed his hoodie. He flushed even more every time he read a tweet about people wanting to marry him. He felt oddly flattered, to be praised and gushed over by these unknown people.
"Oh, you're blushing!" Donghyuck crowed, tears leaking out of his eyes as he laughed.
"Shut up, Hyuck," Jeno grumbled. He half heartedly kicked at Donghyuck's side in an attempt to shut him up. "It's not funny."
"What're you talking about? This is top tier comedy!"
Jeno wasn't a petty person, that was his sister. But Donghyuck was really pushing his button. So what if he dropped Donghyuck's phone right on his stomach? It slipped, Jeno swore.
"Oof," Donghyuck grunted and Jeno felt a small amount of satisfaction.
The brown haired boy finally stopped laughing, breaths labored as he laid there on Jeno's carpeted floor, causing the room to fall into sweet silence. For a few minutes at least. It was Donghyuck after all. "So... how was it?"
Jeno hummed noncommittaly in response, replying to his mother reminding him to get more groceries. "How was what?"
"Meeting Na Jaemin, Jen, what else?"
'It was amazing. He was really nice and sweet and his smile could rival the sun,' was Jeno's first thought, but he discarded that answer before he could say them out loud. "It was fine," was what Jeno settled for.
Donghyuck gave him a look and Jeno hid his face in his ice cream bowl. "Sure, Jen. I'll pretend that I didn't notice you developing a crush from the moment you saw him."
"I do not have a crush on Na Jaemin!"
"Whatever," Donghyuck scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Wait til I say 'I told you so' on your wedding."
"Hyuck!"
×-×-×-×-×
"You're going to what?!"
Jaemin winced at Renjun's volume. He looked around the practice room where they were at, practicing for their upcoming collab. He smiled sweetly when his manager glanced at them. Then he turned to Renjun with a glare before dragging him to the farthest corner away from his manager.
"Keep your voice down!"
Renjun looked at him like he's got two heads. "How am I supposed to keep my voice down, when you told me something like that?!"
The that in question being Jaemin's idea of going to Jeno's house. Renjun and Jaemin have been friends since they were trainees and they've gotten into stupid shenanigans more times than Jaemin could count. But he could admit that this one is kind of crazy, so maybe Renjun was justified in judging.
"Injunnie, hear me out," Jaemin pleaded with a pout, cranking up the aegyo for maximum damage. "I heard Manager-hyung said that they're going to send out the photos today and-"
"Nope."
"-and I have a plan! Injunnie, please, help me!"
Renjun paused, and he reluctantly turned his head to look at Jaemin. Jaemin could see his black-haired friend's resolve crumbling. He pouted harder, widening his eyes and willing them to tear up. And if anyone asked, then yes, Jaemin could point out the exact moment Renjun gave in.
"Fine, you big baby," Renjun sighed.
Jaemin cheered.
×-×-×-×-×
The sound of the doorbell rang throughout the house and Jeno groaned. He was in the middle of playing a game and he couldn't exactly pause it. "Noona! Can you get the door? Please!" he shouted, hoping his sister would hear. He groaned again when he remembered that his sister was out with her friends.
"Yah, Jen! I need some help here!"
"Sorry, Hyuck," Jeno spoke into his headset. "There's someone at the door. I'll be back soon. Don't die!"
"Wait, Jen-"
Jeno quickly took off his headset and carefully set one of his cats, Bongshik, down from his lap before standing up. The pink-haired boy stumbled out of his bedroom, pausing in front of a mirror to make sure he looked presentable. The doorbell rang again and Jeno ran through the house, feeling bad for making whoever it was wait for so long.
"Coming!"
Opening the door, Jeno was greeted by the sight of someone who frankly looked suspicious. He was wearing a black t-shirt with a black and white jacket over it. Black jeans covered his long legs, while black and white sneakers adorned his feet. A black baseball cap covered his head. Honestly, he looked hot, but that didn't change the fact that he was an unknown, suspicious person.
"Uhm, can I help you?" Jeno finally said, confused.
"Lee Jeno?" a familiar voice answered him, but Jeno couldn't figure out who he was.
"Y-yes?"
"Hi."
The person looked up and Jeno gasped. Dark, round eyes gazed into his own, framed by caramel colored hair, the strands styled in soft curls and cutely falling over his eyes. Plush pink lips were set in a smile, pearly whites blinding Jeno.
"W-what? What are you doing here?" Jeno asked, flabbergasted.
Jaemin pouted at him. "What? Can't I visit my favorite fanboy?"
"No! Wait, yes! Argh, I mean-"
Jeno's panicked reply was cut off by Jaemin's laugh. The pink haired boy blushed, but he felt a small amount of satisfaction at being able to make the idol laugh, even if it was at his expense.
"Anyway," the idol cleared his throat. "I'm here to give you this."
Jaemin gave him an envelope, and Jeno furrowed his brows in confusion. He looked up at Jaemin, but the idol only gestured for him to open it, so Jeno did. Inside it was the picture they took during the fan meet and Jeno unknowingly smiled as he stared at it. The two of them looked cute. They stood side by side, Jaemin's arm around Jeno's waist while Jeno's was slung across Jaemin's shoulders, their shoulder to hip pressed close. They both held up matching peace signs with their free hand, smiles bright on their faces, Jaemin with his blinding grin while Jeno flashed his eye smile.
"And also," Jaemin spoke up, catching Jeno's attention. The idol shuffled in his spot, eyes trained on his shoes, a hand on the back of his neck, and Jeno was endeared by his shyness. "Do you want to go get coffee with me? Maybe?"
Jeno stayed silent for a moment, pretending to think, just to watch Jaemin squirm. "Change it to ice cream and we've got a deal."
Jaemin whipped his head up so fast Jeno was worried he got whiplash. He gaped at Jeno for a moment before his dumbfounded expression was replaced with an elated one. He beamed at Jeno, and Jeno couldn't help but smile back.
"Ice cream, huh? I can do that," Jaemin happily said. "Let's go!"
"Wait, right now?"
Receiving an excited nod, Jeno chuckled and excused himself to change his clothes after inviting Jaemin to wait inside. He ran to his room, gently setting the photo down on his desk. He quickly changed into his street clothes, a simple combo of jeans and short-sleeved blue hoodie. The pink haired boy grabbed his phone, wallet, and keys before leaving the room. He found Jaemin looking at his childhood pictures when he entered the living room.
"You were a pretty cute kid," Jaemin commented when he noticed him.
"Are you saying that I'm not cute now?"
"Nope. I'm saying that you're even cuter now," Jaemin replied easily, throwing a wink at Jeno.
"Oh, that was smooth," Jeno admitted, a faint blush on his cheeks. He followed Jaemin out of the house, shoving his feet into a pair of sneakers.
Jeno locked the door behind them, and together they set off towards the nearest ice cream parlor. They walked side by side, close enough that their hands brushed at every step. Jeno wanted to lace their hands together, but he was too shy. He was still debating over the pros and cons of holding Jaemin's hand when the hand in question suddenly moved to grab his.
"If you wanted to hold my hand, you could've just asked, you know?"
Jeno blushed and looked away from Jaemin, staring at a passing butterfly. "Who said I wanted to hold your hand?" he muttered with a pout.
"Oh?" Jeno could hear the smirk in Jaemin's voice. He could feel that Jaemin was about to pull his hand away, so he tightened his grip, blush deepening. Next to him, Jaemin chuckled. "Thought so."
Jeno cleared his throat and swung their hands as they walked, feeling content. "Anyway how did you manage to come see me? Aren't you busy?" he asked, throwing Jaemin a curious look.
"Ah... that," Jaemin looked sheepish. "I may or may not have skipped practice?"
"What? Won't your manager be angry?"
Jaemin shrugged. "It's fine. Renjun's covering for me."
"Renjun? Huang Renjun?"
"Yeah. You a fan of him?"
Jeno shook his head. "No, but my friend, Donghyuck, is. He's got a crush on him since forever. Said that Renjun's voice, and I quote, 'sounds like a choir of angels singing down from heaven for undeserving mortals like me'."
Jaemin laughed, head thrown back. "Nice to know that my friend is appreciated."
"Oh don't worry, your friend is very, very, appreciated. Our late night ranting sessions could attest to that."
"Cute," Jaemin muttered, a small smile on his face as he watched Jeno.
"Hm? What was that?"
"Nothing, nothing."
Jeno gave him a confused look but dropped it. They kept talking about everything they could think of, giggling every time someone told a funny anecdote. They were entering the ice cream parlor when Jeno suddenly paused, Jaemin paused with him.
"What's wrong, Jeno-yah?"
"I feel like I've forgotten something," Jeno replied.
"Is it important?"
"Hmmm. I don't think so," Jeno mumbled. He shook his head and smiled at Jaemin, tugging him inside the shop. "C'mon. It's probably nothing."
×-×-×-×-×
Meanwhile...
"Yah! Jen!" Donghyuck's voice sounded out from Jeno's forgotten headset, the game on his computer still running. "Lee Jeno, I'll kill you if you don't come back here! Oh shi-"
"JENO!!!"