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smileyjaeminies · 4 years

Text

Prologue

Synopsis: Mad and broken hearted, you hastily write your name, joining a club you know nothing about. Meeting the boys who run it, your whole life seems to change.

Word Count: 4k

Genre: slow burn, angst, fluff

Warnings: none

Member: 00z, ft. Yangyang

A/N: This work has been a long time coming... I am so excited to finally be sharing it with you. This is going to be a rollercoaster, I can promise you that. I hope you can stick with me through it! Let’s goo and enjoy~

You can find the link to the series masterlist here

You were on your way back home from your dancing lesson, on a cloudy Thursday afternoon. As you walked the all too familiar neighborhood, your mind drifted away and you were daydreaming. Your thoughts run fast and you didn’t want them to stop.

Aloof as you were, the buzzing of your phone in your back pocket snapped you back from your reverie. The bright screen of your phone stared back at you as the familiar nickname shone against your lockscreen. You didn’t give the message a second thought, placing your phone back in your pocket and opting to read and reply to his message later.

Your boyfriend however seemed to have other plans, spamming your phone. You were only a few blocks away from your house so you paused to shoot him a quick text to call him in a bit.

You opened the messaging app and your heart stopped when you read his messages.

Kyle

Hey

We need to talk

I don’t think this is working out, we should stop seeing each other.

Sorry

It’s not you, it’s me.

Really.

You stood on the sidewalk staring back at your phone feeling like a complete idiot. Of course Kyle wanted to end things. He was way out of your league anyway. What made you even think that he would even have true feelings for you?

Then again, a text, A TEXT. Fuck Kyle. Fuck him and fuck you too for thinking you or your relationship would be anything more than a joke to him.

You would not cry. You would not go on crying for a boy that just showed you how stupid he was. You would be the bigger person.

YOU

I don’t get it. I don’t. But fine. Have it your way. I hope you find someone who makes you happy.

You sent the text without a second thought. Realizing you were still standing on the sidewalk in front of a stranger’s house, your body sparked into action before your mind did. Your feet found the way down the familiar path while your mind felt too numb to work.

After arriving safely in the confines of your home, everything became blurry. It took a few seconds for you to register that you were crying silently. The steps to your bedroom seemed endless. You found yourself lying on your bed, staring at the clear white ceiling as if it held the answers to your questions.

Your mind was still; your heart numb. The quiet buzzing of your phone next to you on the bed wasn’t enough to snap you back into reality.

Your mom made an attempt to lure you downstairs for dinner but you declined, keeping your voice low. It seemed that the quiet helped keep your sanity.

The sky burst with colour, saying goodbye to the sun for a few hours. The moon took its leading place in the sky racing to chase it around, never fast enough to catch him.

You were thirsty. Making your way downstairs you welcomed the stillness of your house, your parents off to bed. The clock on the oven announced the ungodly hour of 2:38am. You went back to your room, lying inside the covers, not even bothering to change.

You opened your phone, opening the messaging app and writing only a few words that would prove to be enough.

YOU

He ended things. It was a rough afternoon. Meet me before school tomorrow.

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You woke up the next morning feeling like absolute shit. Your head throbbed like a hundred smiths were hammering on it ruthlessly. Your throat ached, your eyes were puffy.

You tried to avoid your mom’s eye during your quick breakfast. She only half-knew about Kyle and you weren’t ready to explain yet. You dressed sloppily, getting ready for school. On your way there, you blasted music on your headphones, in an attempt to silence your thoughts.

Before the school gates stood your best friend. She looked ready to slit some throats, you could feel frustration radiating off of her. Carefully folding your headphones, you turned to put them in your backpack.

“Y/N”! She screamed upon seeing you.

She rushed to you and the smile that spread on your face was a genuine one. Wrapped up in her arms you felt safe. You were not alone anymore. She was here and you were going to be together for most of the day.

You were going to be okay.

“You don’t have to say anything. The text was enough.” she whispered in your ear.

She understood. It was going to be okay.

“Elena” you started, breaking the hug and looking your best friend in the eyes. “Thank you”.

She beamed at you. Grabbing your hand, she went on rambling about how her favorite band were probably preparing their next album and how she was STRESSED. You welcomed the distraction, nodding at her words to show you were listening.

You stood next to her as she grabbed some things from her locker. Your eyes skimmed the notice board on the opposite wall. All the clubs were written there, the school teams and news.

A plain piece of paper stood out to you. It was white, with bright red letters. You left Elena’s side and walked closer.

“Don’t need your love club”

Five slots, all scribbled with hasty handwriting followed, and a small PS at the end.

“Fuck your ex. Fuck your love life. Meeting Mondays 5pm”.

“Don’t need your love club? I don’t think I’ve ever heard that before”, Elena said, now by your side.

Fuck your ex indeed. Without much thought you turn to Elena.

“I need a pen”

“You’re joining? Why?’” she asked.

It was true that besides dancing, you never showed much interest in clubs. You didn’t even know if you were going to follow up with it. But writing your name on that paper amidst your frustration felt good.

You wrote your name and turned to face your best friend. You found her looking away from you, in an almost panicked state.

“Y/N. Don’t look. Don’t look, but he is coming over” Elena whispered.

“A small victory, followed by a large defeat” you thought.

You stare at the wall, trying to find something interesting to look at. You couldn’t help but feel betrayed by the way your heart raced, fighting to break through your ribcage and into his hands.

“Y/N…” he started and you felt a sob shake your body.

“What do you want?” Elena asked for you.

“Can I talk to Y/N alone for a second?” he asked, turning to her.

“What would you have to say? You said plenty yesterday.” Elena answered.

“I just want to explain. If you just let me…” he said reaching for your shoulder.

You flinched away from his touch, finally turning to face him. He looked fine. It bothered you so much that he looked at you with those innocent eyes of his, looking at you the way he would look at you before. As if he hadn’t just broken up with you through text.

He was startled by your reaction. Quickly composing himself, he tried again.

“Y/N…”

“No. Stop. I have nothing to say to you.” You told him proud of your steady voice.

“I can explain. Please.” He said.

What was he pleading about? He started all this. He should reap what he sowed.

You moved your backpack further up on your shoulder.

“I. Have. Nothing. To. Say. To. You.” You said emphasizing each word. “Now, I have to go to class”.

You pushed his shoulder in your attempt to get away from him. You feared he would try to grab you, turn you to face him again, try to explain. He didn’t.

You couldn’t decide whether you preferred it that way or not. Trying to breathe, you walked towards your classroom. Elena was next to you in no time. She was talking to you, but you couldn’t hear.

Blocking everything out, you let the day pass past you without paying it any mind. Your mind couldn’t focus for more than a few seconds at a time and it left you disoriented and dizzy. You vaguely remembered Elena being there for most of your classes as you sat in your chair wondering what your teachers were talking about.

Returning home that night, you turned off your phone, leaving it to lie upon your desk, next to your laptop. You needed some time off the grid. Snuggled deep inside your covers, watching re-runs of FRIENDS and reading, your heart finally began to feel a bit lighter.

Your mind was calm and your heart (mostly) in peace by the time you picked up your phone again. Opening it, messages started pouring in, from Elena, other friends and even your dance instructor.

You smiled seeing all those people reaching out and trying to help. You felt bad about blocking them out, but you also knew you needed it. You went through your messages, replying to everyone before setting your alarm for the next day and falling asleep.

------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------

Mondays were always the worst. You started your day content, getting from class to class and keeping notes. As your lunch hour approached with you and Elena barely making it through a Physics quiz, you couldn’t wait for the day to be over and done with.

Sitting down next to your friends, you felt a tiny bit better. You were still tired and you couldn’t wait for the day to be over. You were taking small bites at your chicken sandwich, when you felt a slight tap on your shoulder and a voice calling your name. Turning around you were met with Renjun.

“Renjun, oh my God hi!” you said, getting up and giving him a hug.

You couldn’t really say you and Renjun went way back. He was one of those people you could just be casual friends with. You shared a couple of classes, you talked on and off but that was about it.

“I’m sorry for bothering you while you’re eating, I couldn’t find you the rest of the day” he apologized.

“It’s no problem, come sit down. Hey Iz, scoot over a bit” you said as you both sat down. “So, what’s up?”

“It’s nothing big, I just wanted to ask you something” he said.

You thought it was super weird that Renjun had something to ask you. He was almost a genius, getting the best grades in almost every class. What help could you be to him? You didn’t voice any of this however, seeing that his expression was serious.

“Shoot away. I hope I can help!” you answered.

“You signed up for the Don’t Need Your Love Club? Why?” he asked.

You were taken aback by his question to say the least. So it wasn’t about classes or homework. That’s why he came to you. Trying to compose yourself, you replied.

“I- I did, but how would you know?”

“I’m a member too. See it’s kind of a running joke between me and my friends… Not really a club. We just wanted an excuse to stay at school and see each other so that’s all we came up with.” He said.

“Oh, am I ruining your party? I don’t want to be a burden or anything-” you were saying but he cut you off.

“No, no, nothing like that. I just thought you and Kyle-” he started, but looking at your expression, he cut his sentence short.

“I’m sorry for bringing it up, I didn’t know…” he trailed off.

“It’s okay. I mean, it’s not right now, but I’m going to be fine. To be totally honest with you, I don’t really know why I signed up to the club. I was kind of pissed at Kyle for breaking off things with me. It felt good writing my name on that piece of paper. Sorry, I don’t even know why I’m telling you all this.” You told him, smiling apologetically.

“It’s fine, I get it. Maybe you should come after all. It’ll do you good. Kind of like an AA meeting” he said, giving a laugh.

You shot him an incredulous look “We’re underage!” you screeched.

“I said almost!” he replied, both of you laughing it off.

He gave you a small hug, before getting up.

“5pm. Meet me outside the computer room on the second floor.” He told you walking away.

“I’ll be there!” you answered.

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Time seemed to slow in an unforgiving pace after your meeting with Renjun in the cafeteria. The clock on the wall of your classrooms mocked you as you watched the minute clock chase the hour hand around.

You didn’t really know Renjun’s group of friends. You were almost certain Jeno, one of the basketball team’s stars, was his friend. You had also seen him hang around with Donghyuck, a semi familiar classmate of yours. Renjun wasn’t popular, but he was extremely kind and friendly, so seeing him walking around with someone wouldn’t really be a clue… Would it?

What got you feeling anxious was a group photo Renjun had uploaded on his Instagram. It showed five boys, all people you recognized from around school, without really knowing them. The photo showed the boys in different poses and you could tell they were having a blast.

What if these were the friends Renjun talked about? What if they were mean or rude to you? What if they just didn’t like you and forced you out of the club?

You knew you were reading too much into it, but you really couldn’t help being nervous. You tried to calm down and focus back to what your teacher was saying in front of you but you seemed unable to bring your mind to rest. Finally, with a promise to meet next week with a new topic, your teacher let you go just as the bell rang.

You took your time as you gathered your things. Walking in the hallways, there was the usual hustle and bustle of students dropping things off or picking things up from their lockers, looking for their friends or speaking with one another.

Unlocking your locker, you left most of your things inside, almost emptying your bag. You hated carrying stuff around when you didn’t have to so you just made a mental note to come by before leaving.

“So, ready to go?” Elena said behind you, making you jump.

“Jesus girl you almost gave me a heart attack!” you scolded her, giving her a playful shove.

“Can’t help it if you’re always on edge! Relaaaax!” she dragged out.

“I am walking in unknown territory here you know” you stated matter-of-factly.

“How so?” she asked.

You turned to her, giving her a pointed look. She realized she had forgotten something, so she got to thinking. Elena tended to be forgetful about things in the most adorable way possible, making you unable to get mad at her. You gave her some time until she got it.

“You have the thing with Renjun!” she said, proud of herself.

“Ding ding ding!” you told her sarcastically.

“Oh, I’m pretty sure that cute guy is gonna be there too!” she said.

“What cute guy?” you asked.

“Oh, you know which one, the guy who just transferred here! You don’t? Oh he is CUTE I’m telling you. He has a weird name though, can’t remember” She said.

“I’ll take your word for it!” you replied.

After bidding Elena a quick goodbye, you walked up to the second floor looking for the computer room Renjun had mentioned. After finding it you looked around for him, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Checking the time, you realized you were still a few minutes early so you did your best to keep yourself entertained until Renjun showed up.

You were just about to beat your high score to the game you were playing when you heard the sound of footsteps rushing towards you. Renjun threw you a huge smile upon seeing you and you returned it.

“I almost forgot I had to pick you up! C’mon, the others are already there!” Renjun said, excited.

Renjun clasped your hand in his and dragged you through the hallways. You were running, feet echoing on the empty halls, but your laughter was even louder. You begged Renjun to slow down but he just laughed and urged you on even more.

Renjun finally managed to slow down before the auditorium doors.

“We have the whole auditorium for ourselves? How many people are there?” you asked, trying to catch your breath before walking in.

“Five, now six I guess. We wanted to bid you a warm welcome so Yangyang and I skipped class to prepare something for you.” Renjun announced.

“Renjun, you shouldn’t have! I hate being in the spotlight, what am I going to do?” you told him.

“It’s a silly thing, I’m just being dramatic. Don’t worry! I’ll be next to you the whole time, I promise. Besides, we’re all friends here, and the guys are waiting to meet you!” he said.

With the mention of “the guys” your heart dropped. You really didn’t know what you should expect to find behind those doors. You tried your best to calm your heart and silence your mind.

“The second you leave me alone, you’re dead Huang Renjun” you told him, attempting to give him a scary look.

Renjun reacted immediately, saluting to you and then bursting in laughter. He grabbed your hand again and you couldn’t help thinking how soft his hands were, while yours were sweaty and almost shaking.

You walked through the doors together, and you were met with a huge banner, painted in red and black reading ‘KYLE YOU SUCK’. Three boys were standing in front of you, smiling wildly, party poppers at hand. You tried to cover your ears but Renjun’s hold on your hand was firm, so you just turned and buried your face in his arms.

“WELCOME TO THE CLUB” the boys shouted behind you.

“You okay?” Renjun asked in a low voice.

“I’m going to kill you” you whispered back at him.

Renjun only beamed back at you and lead you to his friends. Introductions were in order so you quickly found out that the transfer student’s name that Elena talked to you about was Yangyang. Of course, Jeno was there, offering you his signature eye smile. Lastly, there was Jaemin, your school’s official heartthrob.

You recognized them all from Renjun’s Instagram, but you didn’t mention it, politely smiling at all of them, even hugging Jaemin. You were just about to note that someone was missing when Yangyang spoke up.

“Hey, have any of you talked to Hyuck today? He wasn’t in any of the classes we share.” He asked the other boys.

“He said he would show up eventually… Don’t worry about it, he’s going to be here.” Jeno responded.

“Why don’t we sit down? There’s no reason for us to be standing.” Jaemin offered.

You all went to fetch chairs and placed them wherever you wanted, but keeping close to each other. Renjun waited for you to place your chair somewhere and came to sit right next to you.

As it was expected from good friends, the conversation quickly shifted to trivial matters. You found out that you and Yangyang shared the same passion for dancing, although you had to admit that his burned a little brighter. Jeno, Renjun and Jaemin talked about classes and projects you had no idea about. It didn’t feel awkward, it didn’t feel forced and you found yourself enjoying the company of the boys more than you thought you would.

You and Yangyang were watching a video of one of his competitions when the auditorium door burst open and someone walked in. Donghyuck walked in and the reaction from the boys was instant. Renjun left your side to greet his friend. He led him towards you and tried introducing you.

“Y/N, this is-” he started, but he was cut off by Donghyuck.

“We’ve met” Donghyuck flatly stated.

“Oh” Renjun said. “Well finally, another familiar face for you, Y/N!”

You wanted to shake your head, to tell Renjun that what he said was so far from the truth. You forced a smile to your face and looked at Donghyuck.

Donghyuck disliked you since the first day he met you. You had shared classes in the past and in every single one he avoided you as much as he could. When he felt especially feisty, he would make sure to comment on anything you did or said that day. He had found a brilliant way to push your buttons and he seemed to enjoy it like nothing else.

The group’s dynamic changed with the arrival of Donghyuck, all turning to hear where he had been all day. You couldn’t help but feel like you were intruding, but as Renjun took his seat next to you again, you knew you couldn’t slip way.

Donghyuck leisurely took his seat opposite from you, shooting you a pointed look. How could you describe it? It was an intense stare, like he was staring right through you and into your mind, reading your every thought. He looked away first, turning to Jeno and recounted the events of the day.

You dropped your head, opting to look down at your phone and try to block out the conversation. You scrolled mindlessly through Instagram when you heard Renjun’s voice quietly whisper in your ear.

“You want to get out? I can walk you home.”

“I do actually… There’s this assignment I have to turn in tomorrow.” You whispered back.

Renjun only nodded back at you. When Donghyuck finished telling his day’s adventures, he immediately spoke up.

“Okay you guys go on if you want, Y/N and I are going to head home.”

“So soon?” Yangyang turned to you.

“Yeah, sorry everyone, there’s this assignment I have to work on” you said.

“Well if it’s about school work there’s not much we can do” Jeno said, hugging you good-bye.

“Oh yes, God forbid goody-two-shoes Y/N turns in something late, the world is going to fall apart” Donghyuck said.

Taking a deep breath you decided to brush him off. Having said your good-byes, you and Renjun left the auditorium. You stopped by at your locker, taking the things you needed and started the short walk home.

This would be the time you would take out your headphones, play some music and allow it to wash over you. You loved listening to music while you walked, feeling the steady rhythm of your feet on the pavement and the bass of the music leading you on and on.

However, you had to admit that walking back with Renjun was just as enjoyable. You talked effortlessly as you walked close together, your hands brushing at your every move. Somehow, without you noticing, Renjun was holding your hand again. You smiled looking down at your entwined hands.

Arriving at your house you turned and hugged Renjun.

“Thank you for today. You were right, I did need this. Thank you for the banner too it was… Rewarding?” you said, unsure at your choice of words.

You felt the giggle rush through him in the hug. As you both broke away, he graced you while a wide smile.

“I’m glad it helped. Really.” He said.

“I know you are.” You said.

He was about to say something, you could see it in his eyes. He chose not to though, only turning you around and softly pushing you towards the door.

“The assignment isn’t going to write itself! Off you go ‘goody-two-shoes’”

There was a tone of endearment in the way Renjun used the nickname, a tone that made your heart feel a certain sort of way. You didn’t let him see it though, only walked to your house. When you got to your front door, you turned around and weren’t surprised to see him standing in the same spot. You stuck your tongue out at him and he laughed, head falling back and eyes closing.

It was a beautiful sight, you decided. As an artist yourself, you loved beautiful things and so you’d have to put Renjun’s heartfelt laugh on that list.

And that wasn’t a bad thing at all.

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