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kenananamin · 6 months

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Beside Each Other

Chapter 2: The Pizza and the Tooth Fairy

[masterlist]

Summary: The replacement finally comes in and Nanami keeps his promise to help you replace the sink trap. Yunn meets Nanami for the first time and sticks to him through pizza and the tooth fairy.

fluff, nanami kento x fem!reader

~4.2k words

♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡

As Nanami had said, the office sent the replacement rather quickly. You were calling Nanami by the following Tuesday afternoon to ask if he had time that week to help you replace the sink trap. Nanami did not recognize the number and he'd be lying if he said he didn't hope any unknown number would be you calling. He was quick to tell you that he was available that afternoon and asked if it was okay to go up at around 5:30pm after he logged out for work. You happily confirm, happy to finally stop the leaking sink, and continue working while you wait for Yunnuen to get out of school.

Once you’re walking away from the pick-up line with Yunn and after waving goodbye to Jessie, you tell Yunn that your neighbor will be coming up to help with something that afternoon. Yunn finds the pebble on the sidewalk more interesting than the conversation and gives a quick okay while kicking the pebble away.

At exactly 5:30pm, Nanami shows up to your apartment in a light… and tight t-shirt. You kept your apartment a bit cooler than you usually would and hoped it would be alright for Nanami, not wanting to repeat that day where the poor man was helping you in an oven-like apartment.

“Hi,” you greet him as you step aside to let him in. He’s carrying his own toolbox this time and exchanges the usual kind pleasantries with you. Yunn watches from afar but you call her over once Nanami has fully stepped inside.

You rub your daughter’s shoulders and have her stand right beside you to greet Nanami, “Nanami, this is my daughter Yunnuen. Yunn, he’s Nanami, our neighbor who’s gonna help me fix the sink, can you say hi?”

Yunn giggles and asks the towering man, “Nanimi, your name is Nanimi?”

He laughs and sticks his right hand out, “Hi Yunnuen, I’m Nanami. I live downstairs.”

Yunn takes his hand and he chuckles at the tiny hand only covering a fraction of his. You correct your daughter that it’s Nanami, not Nanimi, but he waves off the mistake and tells you it’s alright. It’s kind of cute, Nanami thinks.

You walk Nanami to the kitchen while Yunn goes back to the couch and the scattered toys on its surface. You tried to get the things ready for Nanami by placing the new sink trap, your toolbox and a cloth to wipe anything that might come out next to the opened cupboard.

Nanami crouches down and places his toolbox next to yours. Even though he had everything he would need in his own, he looks through yours to at least use some of the things you prepared for him. You ask if there’s anything you can do to help and he answers no with a smile, but you slide down to the floor next to the open cupboard to keep him company anyways.

“So…” you pick at the skin next to your fingernail, “how was work?”

Nanami looks back at you and chuckles at your attempt to start a conversation while he replaces your sink trap. If it was anyone else in any other situation, he might have ended it with a quick and simple ‘fine’, but he knew you were trying to be nice and keep him company in exchange for helping you... and he kind of liked it. “It was good, busy but good. My team is managing a few projects so it keeps us busy and it makes the day go by fast.”

You nod beside him, “That’s cool, what kind of projects does your team manage? Or are they top secret?”

Nanami laughs but continues to tell you about the projects and company as a whole. The conversation gets easier with each sentence said and Nanami sees you smiling through the gap between the cupboard door and the counter edge. You have a pretty smile, Nanami wonders if you knew that…

Your phone starts ringing and you hear Yunn yell out that Ms. Jessie was calling. You excuse yourself to answer your call and Nanami nods and grabs the new sink trap. He’s almost done replacing it and he wishes it could take just a little longer to ask you a bit more about yourself.

Just as you get up to answer your phone, Nanami feels another presence beside him. There's light steps shuffling closer to him and a small plop on the floor. He shifts back to get out from under the sink and sees a small girl sitting criss-cross right next to him. She smiles at Nanami and waves. Nanami looks around the kitchen for you and does not see you, but hears you somewhere in the living room talking on the phone. He waves back at Yunn and shifts back under the sink to continue replacing the sink trap.

Nanami hears more slight shuffling and looks back to see Yunnuen peeking her head in to see inside the cupboard, the top of her head poking Nanami’s side. He laughs at the sight of the curious child but continues his job. He finishes rather quickly and reaches for the cloth you had readied for him to clean the bottom of the cupboard from the splattered things from inside the sink trap. Yunn pokes her head a bit further in and asks, “Are you going to fix the light too?”

You hear Yunn’s question from the living room and call for your daughter, “Yunn.”

“What light?” Nanami fully gets out from under the sink to look at the little girl still sitting criss-cross right next to him, only much closer than before.

“The light in the bathroom. It won’t turn on and momma can’t reach.”

“Yunnuen,” you call for your daughter again, a stern hint to stop.

Nanami looks up at you as you lightly pull Yunn back and quietly remind her to go pick up her toys in the living room. He stands and asks, “Which light is it?”

You start to shake your head and wave your hands in front of you, “No, no it’s ok! I just need to take a chair in there and do it. You’ve done a lot today, Nanami, thank you so much!”

Nanami wipes his hands on the small towel he brought in his toolbox, “I don’t mind, I'm already here.” He smiles at you, “Where’s the bulb? Which light is it?”

You pick at your fingernails and look into his eyes to check if he’s sure. He puts his hands on his hips and looks at you with complete certainty, waiting for you to lead the way to the bathroom. You finally nod with a tight-lipped smile and walk towards the hallway closet to get the new bulb. Nanami follows closely behind to get the bulb and goes into the restroom. You lean down to get a stool for Nanami to reach up easier and Nanami laughs at the light blue stool decorated with flowers and tiaras.

You stand back up and point to the stool, “Yunnuen can’t reach the sink too well so she has a stool.”

Nanami nods with a smile and thanks you before slowly stepping on the stool to make sure it wouldn’t collapse under his weight. You both hear toys clanking from the living room and you excuse yourself, “I’m gonna go check Yunn actually picked up her toys.”

Nanami hears your steps drift further from the restroom and into the living room when Yunn walks into the restroom and looks up at Nanami. She’s watching him replace the bulb and patiently waits for the man to finish.

As soon as Nanami puts his arms down from replacing the bulb and the new light flashes bright, the small girl reaches up to give Nanami what she’s holding, “Here, for you!”

Nanami looks down and sees a small lilac teacup and the tiniest plate he’s ever seen under a small plastic slice of pizza. He can’t help but lightly laugh at the little girl on her tiptoes reaching to give him her meal.

“Yunnuen?” Nanami hears you looking for her and lets you know she’s in the bathroom with him.

Nanami crouches down to sit on the stool to be at eye-level with the young girl, “It’s my meal?”

She nods and hands him the pizza and teacup, “It’s a thank you for my sink and light.”

You reach the bathroom when Yunn is handing Nanami the pizza and Nanami holds the plastic toys in his palms, unsure of what to do next. He looks up at your figure at the doorway and you bring your hands up to your mouth and pretend to eat. Nanami follows suit and brings the pizza closer to his mouth, “Om nom nom nom.” He pretends to drink from the teacup and even turns it around to show Yunnuen he finished the drink.

Yunn laughs and she takes the cup to pretend to fill it again. You laugh at the scene in front of you — your daughter giving your neighbor fake food as thanks and your big neighbor trying to make himself small on the stool and pretending to eat your daughter’s plastic pizza.

Nanami looks up at the giggling little girl wanting to fill him up with her fake drinks and her mother leaning on the doorway and laughing. What peaceful sounds, Nanami thinks as he drinks his third cup of whatever Yunn is serving him now.

———

Because of the different schedules, Nanami didn’t see you and Yunn often, and when he did it was only for a few minutes at a time. He knew you left at around three o’clock for pick up and came back 20ish minutes later with a giggling little girl. He’d go pick up his mail/packages around the time you’d come back to walk back up with you both. He liked hearing the young girl’s stories from kindergarten and he liked seeing your shoulders relax a bit more every time you saw each other. Nanami wanted to find more excuses to talk to you but he was happy with the small conversations he got in the meantime. You’d always be in a rush to go somewhere or do something and Nanami hoped to catch you on a day when you could talk for a little longer.

Nanami is filling out one of his daily forms when he hears a series of small knocks. He pauses to listen, unsure if the knock was on his door or above his apartment. He hears your voice faintly calling Yunnuen and the young girl calling out for him from the hallway.

Nanami smiles and gets up from his desk to open his front door.

———

You’re holding Yunn’s hand as she jumps up the stairs and rambles about her class and classmates. This was the routine every day and listening to her really was one of your favorite parts of the day. You’re about to turn for the next flight of stairs when you look towards Nanami’s door. You couldn’t help but wonder about the man every time you passed by the second floor. Even without passing by the second floor, you’d catch yourself thinking about him as you washed dishes, folded clothes, walked to the pick-up line… he found a way to sneak into your thoughts often.

Just as you’re stepping on the first step, Yunn releases your hand and runs to Nanami’s door.

“Yunnuen!” You try to reach for her but she runs before you can catch her.

“Nanimi! Are you home?” She knocks as hard as her little fist lets her. You reach her right outside Nanami’s door and tell her he’s busy and can’t answer. You’re about to take her towards the staircase again when the door opens to a grinning man.

Nanami looks at the girls on his doorstep, you look embarrassed that he actually opened and Yunn is standing next to you with a wide smile, now with a gap.

You start to apologize as soon as he looks back at you, “I’m sorry, I know you’re working, I tried to grab her but she just booked it and—”

Yunn interrupts and opens her hand for Nanami to show him what’s in her palm, “Nanimi, I wanted to show you my toof.” She’s holding a small white tooth on one hand and uses the other to pull her lower lip down to show Nanami where the tooth used to be.

Nanami laughs and gets on one knee to look at Yunn’s tooth. “Oh my! That’s the biggest tooth I’ve ever seen!” the little girl laughs, “Did you cry?”

She lets go of her lip before answering, “I cried because Jacob’s head hit my here,” she points to the space between her chin and mouth, “and I got scared but my teacher hug me and I was ok!”

You’re standing behind Yunn, not sure whether to pull her away now and apologize again or let her finish her story.

“My mami told me we can have pizza for dinner because I was so brave today!” Yunn jumped more as she spoke, “Nanimi do you want pizza today?”

Nanami can’t help but laugh at anything the little girl does and says and you start to reach for your daughter, “Yunn, he might be busy baby, you can’t—”

Nanami interjects, “I would love to join you guys for pizza tonight. If you don’t mind of course,” Nanami is still kneeling in front of you and Yunn but is looking at you. You try to push the image of him on one knee in front of you faaaar back in your brain. Not a time to be delusional, not a time to be delusional…

You wanted to talk to him a bit more and maybe there was a part of you that hoped something would break in your apartment to give you a reason to call him. A couple things were faulty but they weren’t big enough to call him and ask for his help. Maybe Yunn was giving you the perfect chance…

“Our favorite pizza place has really good breadsticks so we always get that. Is delivery okay? Do you prefer a certain pizza?”

Nanami smiles and widens his eyes at the little girl showing him her tooth again. He stands and nods, “I’ll have anything you’re having. I’m not picky,” he ruffles Yunn’s hair and she holds her head while giggling, “At what time should I be over?”

Yunnuen starts to jump more while yelling ‘Yay yay yay yay!’ and you try to quiet her down while talking, “Well we usually have dinner some time between 6:30ish and 7 since this one,” you point down to the jumping child, “needs to be in bed by 8:30, 9 at the latest.”

Nanami laughs and tells you he’d be over a little after 6:30 to celebrate Yunn’s big milestone. You nod and excuse yourself to take your excited child upstairs and Nanami sees you drag Yunn up the stairs and keeps hearing her little jumps from downstairs. Nanami goes back to his office and sits on his chair while releasing a heavy sigh. Would it be too much if I changed? She already saw what I was wearing… Nanami looks down at his clothes, simple dark slacks and a grey pullover.

He hasn’t smiled so much since moving into that damned building, he was glad to finally have someone his age he could talk to and be close with. Well… start getting close with. Do I want to be close to her — to them? She’s a single mom, she’s in a different stage of life than I am… Can I be close to them? Nanami is pulled out of his thoughts when his work phone rings.

He sits up straight and answers the phone, “Schneider Electric, this is Nanami.”

Nanami checks the time on the corner of his desktop. It’s 3:34pm, three more hours to go.

———

Nanami gets to your door as the food is being delivered. He thanks the young deliveryman as he leaves and stops you before entering your apartment, “Wait wait,” he whispers and peeks inside to check Yunn is not listening, “Question, does Yunnuen believe in the tooth fairy?”

You laugh at the tall man asking about the tooth fairy, "I had mentioned it before and that was part of why she was so excited about her tooth falling out. I think she told Jessie about it too. How come?”

Nanami smiles, “Just checking.” He raises his voice to a normal volume before continuing, “Here, let me help you,” he grabs the boxes from your arms but waits for you to welcome him into your home before coming in.

You welcome him in and call for Yunn, “Yunn! Can you come out now please? And get what's on the counter.”

Yunn comes running from her room in a Rapunzel costume and pigtails, “Ok mommy!”

Yunn grabs the few napkins and plates you had previously put on the counter and starts a hybrid of a walk and skip to the living room center table. She waves to Nanami then waves for him to follow her. Nanami starts to follow the young girl before you can even protest and redirect them to the small dining table in the opposite direction. You give up on the battle you'd most likely lose against your five year old and follow them to sit next to Yunn on the carpet, across from Nanami.

“Hey Yunn, guess who came to visit me today?”

Two sets of ears perk up, you wonder who visited Nanami and how that visitor ties in to you and your daughter enough to bring them up. Yunn patiently sits with a smile, her shoulders barely peeking over the table when she sits directly on the floor.

“She said she’s been waiting to meet you,” Nanami takes something out from his back pocket, “but the tooth fairy said she saw you being very brave and wanted me to give you something.”

Nanami sits on his knees to give Yunn a ten dollar bill. Yunn excitedly stands and goes over to Nanami’s side to get the bill, ignoring you and not looking back at all. Your brain catches up with what he’s doing and you sit up straighter to try to stop Nanami.

“The tooth fairy said she’d come back later, but you have to be asleep first, ok?”

Yunn carefully grabs the bill, “Nanimi, is the toof fairy pretty?”

Nanami looks over at your shocked expression as you sit across from them with an arm stretched out.

“She’s a really pretty fairy,” he smiles at you before looking back at Yunn whose smile is still growing.

There’s a flush creeping onto your cheeks… technically— very technically speaking, you were the fairy. He looked at you when he said it… was that him saying you were…?

“Nanimi, can I buy a happy meal with this?”

Yunn is looking at Nanami with glowing eyes and Nanami hangs his head to laugh.

“I think so, you might even have a little left over after a happy meal,” Nanami pokes Yunn’s tummy and smiles.

"Yay!" Yunnuen jumps and her pigtails jump with her, "I'm gonna put this in my piggy!" She turns to run to her room but abruptly stops and turns back to Nanami, "Nanimi, do you want to see Pinky?"

Nanami turns to look at you, wondering what the hell a pinky even is. You run your fingers through your hair and lean on the table, looking between the giddy child and confused neighbor looking for an answer on your face. You nod and Nanami mirrors the action for Yunn. She wastes no time and runs to her room.

Nanami shifts from being on his knees to sitting criss-cross in his spot. He smiles and rubs his palms on his pants when you break the silence.

"Nanami, you — listen, you really don't- didn't have to do that," you sigh, "I haven't even paid you back for helping me fix our sink."

He smiles and points to the boxes between you, "This is it. This is how I want to be payed back."

Nanami notices your usual tight-lipped grin and continues, "I wanted to do that. I remember what it was like to be a kid and be excited about things like that. Please do not think you have to pay me back. I'm happy I get to do this and make a kid that happy."

You both hear Yunn throwing things around in her room and Nanami breaks into a wide smile and laugh. It's weird... he seemed so stoic when you first met him by the mailboxes, but now he's sitting in front of you, smiling about your girl making a mess in her room. Without realizing, you start smiling too. It's nice to smile so easily...

Yunn starts walking back to the living room and all Nanami sees is a pink dinosaur plush that's bigger than the little girl carrying it. He can only see her pigtails besides the dinosaurs neck and her small feet dragging her back towards the table. She sits the pink plush besides Nanami and goes behind him to put a tiara on his head.

You facepalm, "Oh god, Yunn—"

She rounds the table and puts another small tiara on your head before taking her seat beside you again. She nonchalantly starts opening the box of breadsticks and says, "Nanimi, this is my Pinky. I'm wearing my dress, I don't need my crown. Momma and Nanimi need a crown. Nanimi, was the toof fairy wearing a crown?"

Nanami is adjusting his crown while responding, "She was wearing a crown but had a jacket on to hide her crown and outfit, she said she didn't want to recognized."

Yunn is staring at Nanami in complete astonishment, nodding along as if it made sense for the tooth fairy to hide underneath her jacket.

You're putting a pizza and breadstick on Yunn's plate as you look at Nanami and laugh. You half-apologize for your daughters' actions but look back at your little girl knowing that you would never seriously apologize for a child's innocence. Everything she did was breathtakingly amazing to you and you really did not know how you got so lucky with a child like her.

You and Nanami start pilling up your plates while you listen to Yunn ramble about how she's sleeping fast tonight to get more money from the tooth fairy so she could buy happy meals for the group's next meal.

The simple fact that Nanami was included in Yunn's statement warms his heart and he can't deny looking forward to eating from the small red box with a yellow smile.

———

The week after the pizza dinner, Yunn fulfilled her promise on the happy meals. Or more like you did, you let Yunn's $10 stay in her pocket and all she had to do was invite Nanami to McDonalds. It felt weird to let your five year old knock on Nanami's door and invite him out again, but you were relieved when he happily (and swiftly) said yes and offered to drive the group there. Yunnuen left her handprint on the window as she was getting out and Nanami did not have the heart to wipe it off. Nor did he want to.

After leaving the golden arches, Nanami invited you both for a dessert and hot chocolate. Yunn asked if you could take the hot chocolate to the park a block away so she could show 'Nanimi' how fast she could run through the playground. Nanami asked the barista to have the drinks to go instead and for one drink to be slightly cooler. It was cold outside but Nanami promised to play on the playground with you both... he found out the slide was too damn small for a man his size and the swing painfully digs into his hips and thighs.

A few days after the park, you invited Nanami to a local sandwich shop for lunch after bumping into him on the staircase. Nanami walked to his front door since you could see it from the stairs but ran once inside his apartment to gather his coat, gloves and scarf. He was back by the staircase in record time. Yunn was at school during the sandwich outing and although he missed the giggling and the small hand occasionally reaching out to hold his finger, he did like the way you spoke slowly, uninterrupted and without a rush.

While listening to you speak and watching you take off the tomatoes on your sandwich, Nanami realized that he could do this every day. He could have lunch and dinner with the duo every day if he could.

Oh no… I've got it bad...

But even with that realization, Nanami did not flinch. Nanami’s heart beat a bit faster while sitting around the living room table with you and Yunn. His cheeks had never ached so much as they did after chasing Yunn around the park and playing freeze tag. He's never felt so enamored by the way someone removed tomato from their food while they continued their conversation.

He’s never felt like an outsider, like he didn’t belong, but strangely— he felt like this was the first time he could really belong somewhere, it was a good place to be, where he should be. Sitting across from a giggling little girl picking out her pepperoni to eat first during dinner and across a smiling woman retelling a story for lunch… he felt like he belonged. What a scary thought — it wouldn’t be easy to fit into your puzzle. But maybe I could?

"Kento."

You stop talking and look up at Nanami.

Nanami smiles and repeats himself as he slides a napkin closer to you, "Call me Kento, or Ken, whichever you prefer. My first name."

You look down at the removed tomatoes on your plate then back at the man holding his own sandwich, "Okay," you nod while trying to contain your smile to a small grin instead of the wide smile the butterflies in your stomach have been dying to release. "Well Kento, would you like my tomatoes?"

It's Nanami's turn to try to contain his smile. He bites his lower lip and tries to not think too deeply about how nice his name sounds coming from your mouth.

Nanami puts his sandwich down on his plate and leans to yours to pull the red pieces off your plate, "Thank you, y/n."

Your grin loses its battle against the wide smile, "You're very welcome, Kento."

♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡

Chapter 3: Fahrenheit or Celsius

(a/n: i will link the next chapter when it is posted 😚)

(tags: @phoenix666stuff , @emzalot , @julia23sblog)

156 notes · View notes

doycngs · 2 years

Text

bet! | lee jeno.

summary. it was bound to bite both your asses eventually. just plain ‘ol comedic luck that you and your best friend’s shared tradition of petty bets get you two to finally cough up years of repressed feelings for one another.

pairing. y/n x nct’s jeno

genre. college!au, best friends to lovers!au

word count. 17k

warnings. swearing, fem!reader, underage drinking, emotional constipation lmao, hyuck and yeri hustle often, general dreamies tomfoolery, hyuck and nana are like dumb and dumber, honestly just super chaotic since it’s slice of life :)

taglist. @donutswithjaminthemiddle @dvickyyy @jenosbliss @matryoooshka @luvenshiti @nap-of-a-starr @dojun00 @nctdom @yangsbff @bockhyun

i feel like i did a pretty bad job rounding this fic up, my bad… still hope this lives up to the hype from the teaser! to those tagged, many hugs and kisses!! tysm for the interest <3

also biggest thank you to yunn aka @kdyism for being my beta reader and just being super helpful on absolutely everything for this fic! it def got finished faster bc of ya, much love bun :3

“WAS HE DROPPED on the head when he was a kid?”

You can’t help the snort that passes your lips, making a satisfying slap to Jeno’s arm. “Don’t be mean.”

“You didn’t answer my question.” Jeno raises an eyebrow.

“Eh… maybe like once or twice. Not that I would know, I was the same age as him but I’m just guessing.”

You two continue to watch the disaster in front of you befold. Hyuck was currently bothering Yeri. Apparently, he didn’t know the limits as to when to stop because the older senior’s ears are burning red. You’re sure if you were in a cartoon right now, Yeri would have smoke coming out of them, nostrils flaring.

“Should we intervene?” You side-eye Jeno and he’s the least bit concerned, eyes blearily watching the soon-to-be wreck happen in slow motion, cheek squished against his palm.

“Nah. This is way more entertaining than continuing my stats homework.”

You peer over his notebook and he has the word problem and equation written down. Humming, you bring your attention back to the stars of the show and see Yeri grip her notebook tighter, knuckles going white.

“Here we go.” You sing, Hyuck’s screams of protest soon alerting everyone in the campus plaza of his pain.

“He never learns his lesson, huh?” Renjun finally joins, his boots making the fall leaves on the ground crunch. Throwing his book bag on the table, it scrunches Jeno’s current page in his statistics work but the latter doesn’t care.

The two of you nod simultaneously. You and Jeno halfheartedly discouraged Hyuck from going to poke at Yeri around five minutes ago, soon after the three of you had sat down at your usual spot under the only weeping willow tree on campus. It was honestly impressive how quickly your mutual friend could annoy someone so quickly.

“We should time him next. See how long it takes for Yeri to lash out at him.” You mutter the idea, Jeno pursing his lips after the two shift left and right around Yeri and company’s picnic table, a textbook held high in Yeri’s nimble fingers. Wendy and Seulgi are ducking as Irene begins trying to stop the madness, scolding Joy for cheering on their youngest.

“Not a bad idea to be honest. Bet?” Jeno grins and you shake on his hand without looking at him.

“Bet.”

It was just getting good. Hyuck doesn’t have the endurance to continue but Yeri does. Pilates has done her well.

Renjun quirks an eyebrow, pulling out his laptop as an apple slice is shoved into the corner of his mouth. “You don’t even know the conditions of the bet yet.”

You shrug, thoroughly entertained as Hyuck sits on his knees, his hands rubbing together furiously as he begs for mercy. “Next time, he gets Yeri to go after him in under two minutes.”

“I say three.” Jeno nods and he offers a hand again which you shake.

“You underestimate that little lady’s body. She can hold a lot of anger.”

Jeno hums in response, ending the conversation quickly as Hyuck stumbles his way over, a pout sat on his lips. The well-beaten idiot rubs at his forearms, mumbling curses under his breath as he plops down beside Renjun.

“Didn’t end well, did it bud?”

At the smug expression you have plastered on, Hyuck’s pout deepens. “It’s not funny. I need her to partner with me in Psych. I’ll go fucking crazy if I actually have to work with Felix.”

“Felix’s a sweetheart. I don’t know why you have it out for him.”

Hyuck rolls his eyes, running his hands through the ruffled brown strands. Yeri managed to grab a bunch of pine needles and aim correctly enough, even with the air resistance the leaves have.

Renjun beside him plucks a long green one out the battered boy who’s seated beside him, slouched over on the picnic table. “You can’t have two eggheads who don’t pay attention in class paired together. Isn’t that so, Hyuck?” Renjun baby-voices, the latter placing his chin on his stacked wrists to glare.

“Somebody’s cranky.” Chenle swings by, a childish smirk gracing everybody’s presence.

“It’s justified.” Hyuck huffs, turning away from the new arrival. You scoot over, bumping into Jeno’s large body to allow Chenle to sit.

“Why are you so meaty nowadays? Take a break from the gym, will you? We can barely fit eight people at this table as it is.” There’s playful malice in your voice but a little truth in there. The asshole was getting too bulky for your liking.

“Oh please. Mark hardly swings by for lunch with us anymore. And why by chance are you bothered by me bulking up?” Jeno leans closer, eyes impossibly close to yours, “Are you swooning yet?”

Ignoring your heart racing faster, you slap a palm to his forehead, pushing Jeno further away from your face. “No, I’m sick of these freshies asking me for your number, that’s why. You want to know how many have asked for your digits indirectly through me this entire week?”

Chenle and Renjun have suddenly started bickering about something and you have to raise your voice a little.

“Five. Five people. Four girls and one guy. I’d be proud of you if it weren’t for the annoyance starting to kick in.” Jeno raises his eyebrows at the number, finally flattening down his stats paper.

“And what’d you tell ‘em?” Jeno bites distractedly at the cap of his pen, seeming to hit the realization his work has to get done by midnight.

“That they should ask you themselves,” You’re rolling your eyes, nudging at Chenle to back off on his squishing, practically half his body across the table to try and snatch at Renjun’s sliced apples, “I’m kind of sick of your posse trying to scour me for your personal information.”

“Get your own, dingus! We get our rations per month at the commons!”

“I’m not giving up a precious coupon just to get one apple slice, come on!”

“Tell them to stop then.” Jeno tries to solve.

You laugh incredulously, watching Jeno’s concentrated (confused more like) side profile. “You think that deters them? They regenerate into different people every week. The message is not passed on from generation to generation apparently.”

Jeno makes that endearing ‘huH?’ sound and you grab at the notebook yourself, having taken Statistics 101 before. He thanks you under his breath, which you nod at before Jeno slumps onto your shoulder, sighing heavily.

“Sorry. I know it bothers you. I would go around and tell them to back off of you and me personally but I don’t know all their names.”

Glancing at Jeno, it irritates you helplessly that you know he’s not even trying to sound dickish. He’s just that sweet and kind of a guy that makes other people not want to talk to him and ask those types of questions themselves. You know those people that seem too perfect to want to approach? Yeah, that’s Lee Jeno in a nutshell. If you looked up the definition of that type of person in a book, Jeno would be grinning that Samoyed smile of his from on that cursed page.

“I should tape a sign to my back that says, ‘Ask Lee Jeno himself. I’m not his personal owl,’” You peek at his face, “What do you think?”

He slightly smiles, eyes crinkling almost shut even at such a small gesture of amusement. “Okay. I’ll add my signature to it so that they know it’s approved by yours truly.” He looks up to your face and you’re glad the cold can disguise your flustered face easily with this type of weather.

Guess it’s time to actually settle this officially since it’s been clued at a little, but yes: You do have a crush on Jeno. And no, he does not know because when does telling one of your best friends’ that you’ve been crushing on them ever worked out?

No, not in the Wattpad story kind of way, you mean truly worked out. Because personally, you’ve never heard of it working out ever, especially since you’re practically in the you’ve-seen-him-in-his-boxers and he’s-seen-you-shirtless stage of friendship. Don’t ask, it’s a long story that’s already too long for this kind of boring read.

So, no, you will not take your chances, thank you very much. There were many signs flashing neon that told you Jeno didn’t see you in a romantic or sexual kind of way but the glaringly obvious sign was actually the one you two are discussing currently.

What’s the appropriate way of acting if your crush is being berated by other peers on campus to give them your number? You’re not confident in what it actually looks like because for one, you’re not on the receiving end in this imaginary scenario, and two, it’s exactly that; an imaginary scenario. You can’t even seriously dream of Jeno liking you if you could. It was just that bizarre.

In the two years you've known the boy, he’s never even once mentioned another human being that he could potentially be interested in on campus. It’s not a problem of him not being comfortable telling you either because he’s told you upright that he’s not interested in anybody here (including you who’s enrolled in this stupid university). You’ve even nonchalantly asked Jaemin before and he’s confirmed that even in high school, this kid did not have wandering eyes.

You had wondered if Jeno was asexual, aromantic, or something along that line in the spectrum, eventually having the courage to ask him one day and he shook his head no quite confidently, a small smile laid on his lips.

You don't know what Jeno's deal was but the risks in finding out really didn’t lean in your favor. And that’s fine, considering how many fish are available on Earth's wide sea of potential mates. You’ve killed off even the chance of dating Jeno and that’s all good in your book. You’ve been attracted to your guy friends once and twice and they faded away with time exploring their weird quirks or horrible habits. And even if Jeno was a strange case where you’ve even seen the dude have beer dripping from his nostrils from a shitty keg stand and you still manage to harbor feelings for him… eh.

Time brushes away a lot of problems if you’re desperate and willing enough. Luckily for you, you checked off both boxes easily with this special instance.

You open your laptop and scour your documents for your old stats notes on chi-square tests. Bleh.

Pretending to gag in your mouth at the sight, Jeno smothers a laugh that shakes your shoulder and you share the document his way before scrolling and finding the right topic. You do the problem with few difficulties and write a quick message in the corner of his notebook page.

‘Actually study this because Y/N did the example and took time from her day to do so, thank you.’

“Thanks,” Jeno chirps as he takes his notebook back, removing himself from your shoulder (to your well-hidden disappointment), “I owe you one.”

“You’re right. A coffee works just fine, thank you.” You pipe back, folding your hands on the table cheerily. Jeno is shaking his head in mock annoyance but you knew the next time you two meet, you would not be disheartened, a warm cup pressed in hand.

“A four-dollar coffee is worth one solved problem in your book?” Jeno argues.

You fire back without hesitation. “It’s statistics. And I just sent two semesters’ worth of notes to you. You’re very welcome.”

“You’re right,” Jeno turns, stowing his notebook away, “That’s like seven coffees then.”

“And a scone if you’re feeling nice. A croissant works too.” You beam.

“Now you’re pushing it. Those things are stupidly overpriced.”

“Even for me?” You playfully place your chin in your cupped hands, blinking slowly and looking through your lashes.

Jeno sighs, placing a hand on your head of hair. “Fine. You win, you spoiled princess.”

In times like these, you knew you really asked to be put in these types of situations. And you’re not one to start being a saint and stop being hypocritical but… you deserved what you were putting yourself through, saying these types of things and teasing like this. Trying to get a stir and playact with being more.

Maybe it was a little cruel, somewhat tricking Jeno into saying sweet things to you, just to let your mind wander for a second. Call it… taking advantage of his friendship to pretend a little. Harmless but still adds into your ledger of sins for Judgment Day right?

“Why are Jisung and Jaemin taking so long? I’m running out of apples.” Renjun whines, looking at the bag that’s been emptied. You’re almost one hundred percent sure it was the two other hungry animals sitting at this table and you weren’t even listening to their argument earlier.

“They’re carrying seven people’s worth of food. I think that warrants a little patience.”

“I wouldn’t be nearly upset if these two idiots didn’t steal my apples.” Renjun spits out, glaring. The two culprits wholly ignore the oldest.

A whole two minutes later, Jaemin and Jisung arrive, lugging four plastic bags of takeout. Jisung’s thin arms are shaking with the effort to hold them, Hyuck getting up to relieve him.

“Wah, took you two long enough. Thanks for losing the bet last week.” Chenle slaps a hand to Jisung’s heaving back.

“We just walked… half a mile carrying all this.” Jisung breathlessly collapses beside Hyuck, bent over with his hands on his knees.

“Why didn’t you take Jaemin’s car?” Jeno mumbles around his hamburger.

Jaemin laughs, out of breath as well. “I left my fucking car at Yangyang’s from Friday. I didn’t even remember until today because I can walk to my Monday classes.”

“What the fuck did you do without a car on the weekend?” Hyuck wonders, chipmunk cheeks stuffed full of fries.

Jaemin makes a suggestive face and everybody recoils, not willing to be curious anymore. The culprit laughs airily. “Why are you all assuming bad things right now?”

“You didn’t go crawling back to Eunji or something, right?” Hyuck squints, “Because I saw you talking to her that night and that would be pathetic to hear about right now—”

“No, I’m not that kind of asshole—”

“At least you can acknowledge you are one…” Jisung comments under his breath.

“I simply asked her how she was doing. It was completely innocent,” Nana’s wide bunny eyes scan the table, “Really! I conked out in Hendery's room after the party.”

“And just so happened to leave your car at Yang’s which is directly across from Eunji’s dorm—” Hyuck continues before Jaemin cuts him off with a scoff.

“Again. Not that kind of an asshole. Besides, if you had looked closer Hyuck, we were civil Friday night. I doubt she would ever let me get near her that way again… except for maybe with a baseball bat.”

The table stifles laughs at that, chowing down the food. Everyone murmurs a quick thanks halfway through every food item getting demolished.

“Can you even afford this Jisung?” You mention on second thought, considering the younger boy sat diagonally from you.

“Jaemin owed me too so he paid for everything.”

“Man, you just rack them up, don’t you?” Jeno pityingly looks over to his best friend at the end of the table.

He shrugs, not all that bothered. “I’ll eventually learn my lesson, right?”

“Not if you keep agreeing to our daily bets, stupid.” Chenle quips past his tenders, shoulders shaking in mirth.

“That’s true. You walk right into them when we bring it up.” Renjun supports.

“You should be glad you’re never around to accept Ten’s though. I like to think you would fall for them easily.” You crunch at Chenle’s fries, the younger boy not noticing your swiping.

“What do his bets look like?”

“Skinny dipping. Egging houses. And occasionally, seven minutes in heaven.” Jisung answers for you, which you backtrack at. In fact, everybody does.

Hyuck blinks owlishly at him. “What?”

“How do you know these things, kid? Spill.” You threaten with a long fry of Chenle’s, the soggy potato cut flopping as time goes by.

“You’ve never seen me at Ten’s?” Jisung spills. Everyone gapes.

“Why the fuck would we see you at Ten’s!?” Hyuck laughs in disbelief, hilarity at the situation peeking at the twinkle in his eyes.

“Yeah, what the heck? Why am I never invited?” Chenle sulks.

Jeno scoffs. “Because you two are freshmen, that’s why.”

“What are you, fucking Casper the ghost in the corner? How come we’ve never seen you?” Nana is skeptical as well, the only one upset that his baby freshie has managed to sneak into an upperclassmen party.

“Johnny invites me sometimes. When he remembers.” Jisung shrinks at all the attention, nervous with the sudden interrogation.

“Johnny is a bad influence,” Jaemin argues with a fold of his arms.

“Like you’re any better, Nana.” You laugh, bringing an arm around Jaemin to offer comfort. You don’t see Jeno shift at the contact.

“And you don’t take part in the bets, do you?” Renjun implores before he shakes his head, “Wait, no, I definitely would have heard of Jisung having seven minutes in heaven with someone.”

“Oh, no. I’m not insane,” Jisung shivers at the thought. “It’s fun to watch Taeil go crazy though.”

Hyuck slaps a hand to Jisung’s back, the latter wincing at the battering his body is taking today. “Welcome to the real deal, man! My god, why did I not know you came to upperclassmen parties? You sneak in sometimes?”

“What? No! Do I look even close to a sophomore to you?” Jisung looks to make a point, gesturing towards himself. “There’s your answer.”

“I think Johnny favors you then. He has a soft heart for freshies, who knew?”

“Where is my invite then?” Chenle whines, still sulking.

“I’ll take you as my plus one.” Jisung placates his best friend with that and he continues to happily chew on his cheeseburger.

“When’s his next one? Oh, I can’t wait to see how Jisung acts wasted.” Hyuck wiggles in his seat, giggling like a happy toddler.

“Oh no, not on my watch. Baby Jisungie is not getting wasted at any party, ever.” Jaemin acts tough, glaring at the youngest of the group.

“Oh, please Grandpa. You didn’t even realize I was present at these until I just told everyone.”

Nana bursts at that, screeching a scolding noise that startles a pair of girls walking by. “Because I never even expected you to be at one! That’s why!”

Jaemin looks to you, eyes wide. “My baby chick. At an upperclassmen party.”

Giggling, you push at his jaw to turn his gaze towards Jisung again. “Jisung’s got a fair point. Who are you to stop him?”

“I never get wasted anyway. I just come to watch the chaos.” Jisung grins, munching on his chicken tenders like Chenle. As you watch longer, you understand why Nana babies the youngest so much. He’s cute in moderation and it looks easy to want to mother him.

“Whatever,” Nana grumbles, “Guess I have to watch out at parties and babysit now.”

“Oh, please don’t.” Jisung’s face scrunches up.

“This Saturday. You coming, Jisung?” Hyuck grills, pocketing his phone which you didn’t even realize he pulled out to text presumably Johnny or Ten.

“I guess… if Johnny asks me.” Jisung drags out, glancing at Hyuck.

“This sounds like a disaster now that everybody knows.” Renjun leans across to whisper to you and Jeno.

“You two should come to watch the shitshow with me,” You grin, wiggling your eyebrows, “I know you two usually don’t come but sometimes they can be fun.”

“I don’t wanna drink to have fun.” Renjun wrinkles his nose at that.

Waving a hand at that, you offer a tip, “Just fill your cup with a liquid. Nobody is sober enough to check you like a cop.”

Jeno hums at that, Renjun saying that he’ll think about it. Hyuck pockets his phone once again, having pulled it out to ask about Jisung.

“You got the go-ahead, dude. Ready to party with the big boys?” Hyuck wrestles Jisung’s long neck into the crook of his elbow as the younger boy cringes.

“I don’t know about that but…”

Jaemin stands up dramatically, slapping both hands on the table. Your cup of soda spills a little when it knocks over, Jeno cursing as the two of you rush to correct the drink’s position.

“Oh, not on my watch, you won’t!”

The table is quiet, absorbing Nana’s usual dramatics.

Chenle raises his hand a little. “I’m going too, right?”

|—————|

It took a little more convincing for Renjun to come. You and Jeno usually like to watch havoc together, pure rapture and popcorn shared between you two. You seriously considered bringing the movie snack to the party but in the end, was unconvinced by the others. Using the microwave at a frat party didn’t seem so smart, especially if your attention dragged away and someone nagged the bag from the microwave before you could notice. Would just be a waste of popcorn.

Jeno and Renjun swing by your dorm building, waiting outside in the cold for a minute or so before you pop out.

You shiver, pulling at your black jean jacket. “How many more layers do I have to put on to not be cold?”

Renjun shakes his head, observing your legs. “You’re wearing thin ass tights, Y/N, what were you expecting?”

Teeth chattering, the three of you begin to walk to the 127 house. “Jokes on you, I’m wearing leggings underneath. These are fake tights with fleece in them.”

“Why are you so cold all the time? Is your body just that weak?” Jeno genuinely queries, your black skirt flying a little too high with the current wind for his comfort. He slows to walk behind you, conscious of the nonexistent people on the deserted streets looking.

“Yeah, you’re actually shaking. Do you wanna turn back to change?” Renjun offers kindly and you shake your head, committed.

“I look cute right now. Fashion sacrifices, am I right?” You grin impishly, eyeing your company’s outfits.

Following your act of observing everybody’s clothing choices for tonight, Renjun laughs at all three of your different fashion senses. “We look ridiculous walking together right now.”

Jeno peeps up from the back of the two of you leading the way. “How? I think we look fine.”

You hum in agreement. “We look like college students going to a party.”

A bark of laughter escapes Renjun’s mouth, tugging at Jeno’s jacket zipper. “Yeah, three different parties. Jeno looks like he’s about to rob a store. Y/N looks like a grunge girl and I look like I’m heading to the fucking library.”

He’s not that wrong. Jeno’s wearing all black, cargo pants, tee, chunky boots, and zip-up hiding his good figure in the darkness of his clothes. A navy blue cardigan covers Renjun, wearing similar beat-up Converse to you, with a white tee and light blue jeans. Looking down at your own outfit, you pluck a piece of lint off your gray sweater.

“But we all look great. Killing the fashion game. Fabulous.” You strut forward with confidence, the other two amused at your antics.

The 127 frat house lays ahead and you speed up to get out of the cold. Mark greets you with a hug and shout of happiness. You can smell the alcohol reeking his breath and the entire vicinity already. The floor bumps beneath your feet, everyone else in the building bobbing their head to the beat.

“Hi, Y/N! Oh shit, what?” Mark calls out to Jeno and Renjun, dapping them up as his Solo cup dangerously leers to the left. You hurriedly correct it in his hold, not willing to get beer stains on your nice clothes this early into the night.

“What the fuck are you two doing here?” Mark shouts down to you, a dopey grin implanted on his expression, “You convinced them to come for once?!”

“I know, right? It’s a rare occasion tonight!” You yell back, a contagious smile growing on you at Mark’s infectious mood.

Jeno leans closer to break your close proximity to Mark, “Hyuck is gonna get Jisung to let loose. Seems like a good disaster to watch unfold.”

Mark shakes his head fondly at that, grabbing a hold of Renjun’s shoulder and leading all three of you into the kitchen. It’s crowded with humid heat, too many bodies in one room for comfort.

“Grab a drink and toss any cups just laying around, please. I gotta get back to door duty but have fun!” Mark sings, planting a brave wet kiss to your forehead in goodbye before he’s off, shoving to the front of the house again.

You wipe at your forehead, deciding to make fun of sober Mark for this innocent kiss later. Jeno bristles at the sight, grabbing three red cups and pulling out the unopened liter of Coca-Cola in the back of the line of sodas.

Renjun holds the three cups gladly, there being no counter space to easily maneuver for pouring, before passing on the beverage to you. You press your cup to the ice machine and grimace as no ice chunks come flying into your cup.

“Lukewarm Coke it is.” You toast the other three, clinking your Solo cups together before sipping. Getting out of the small kitchen, your eyes scan the crowd.

“See Jisung, Chen, or Hyuck anywhere?” Renjun queries, yelling over the thumping bass. You climb onto the step bar of a stool someone’s currently sitting on, placing a hand on Jeno’s shoulder for support. The height lets you look over the big jumble of people in the large living room, not noticing any familiar heads.

“I see Jungwoo. Maybe he knows.” Jeno calls out, before stepping into the mass of moving bodies. He abandons the two of you for a total of thirty seconds before dragging not one, but two of the 127 boys over.

Doyoung gives a quick side hug, shoving at Jungwoo who comes to lift you off your feet. You make an impact sound at the tall puppy’s strength, patting at his arm to let you down.

Jungwoo’s blonde head of hair is all mussed up and you brush at the strands, laughing. “How much have you had to drink already?”

“A good, healthy amount! I’m on water for the rest of the night!” Jungwoo happily confesses with a thumbs up, all his perfect white teeth on display.

“You two know where Hyuck is?” Renjun bellows.

Jeno adds on, “Or Jisung! We’re here for them!”

Doyoung makes a pulled face at that, Jungwoo bending over in laughter. “What!? Jisung is here?”

The younger of the two frat boys begin darting over the crowd, trying to locate the tall beanstalk.

“What would Jisung be doing here?” Doyoung is puzzled, a little concern crawling into his expression.

“Apparently all Johnny’s doing. Or Hyuck’s, we don’t know at this point.” Jeno shrugs.

“We’re here for the shitshow to commence!” You revealed a little too happily, Doyoung making a forced smile.

“I don’t know anything about this. Johnny’s DJing right now! You can go ask him though.” He points to the far back of the living room. The black-haired senior is head bobbing to the music, a set of headphones half on his head as he waves his gigantic arms around.

You giggle nervously at the obstacle between you and reaching him. “Oh hell no,” You push at Jeno’s arm, “This tough guy is going to go ask for us.”

Doyoung cradles his favorite underclassman by the neck and joins him in his journey to the front. Jungwoo’s a little ways away, dancing wildly. Renjun laughs at the sight, bringing your attention to the silly junior.

“I dare you to join him.” You challenge playfully, and Renjun shakes his head adamantly.

“Fuck no! You think I dance at these parties?!”

“If you have alcohol in you, anyone can dance!” You try to convince Renjun, pulling his lips down.

“Good thing I’m not drinking tonight then!”

Jungwoo gets swept out into the dance floor again, not allowing the three of you to converse more before Jaemin joins the two of you out of seemingly nowhere. He cheers at the sight, ruffling Renjun’s well-styled hair, much to the older boy’s disappointment.

Jaemin grasps at your opposite shoulder, leaning on your head to heave some of his dead weight.

You nudge his side, Nana yelping at the contact. “You know where Jisung is?”

Nana widens his eyes at your question, suddenly remembering his self-proposed babysitting job.

“Oh shit! I forgot! Where is that idiot?” Jaemin gasps, helplessly looking around.

“Trust me, we’ve been trying to navigate this mess for ten minutes since we’ve arrived. Just wait here with us!” Renjun pulls at Jaemin’s belt loop, yanking the same-birth-year boy back into your talking circle.

Jeno arrives a minute later, lugging a slouching Jisung on his back. Hyuck is laughing his ass off, pushing the hair off of Jisung’s forehead to catch the youngest’s drunk face better.

Jeno practically throws Jisung on the now-available stool this stranger just gave up, blowing out a breath of relief. “This kid is way heavier than he looks!” Jeno complains.

Hyuck is still dying of laughter and you and Renjun can’t help but follow in line as Jisung groans, pulling at Jeno’s waist to cuddle him. The latter is halfway between uncomfortable and endeared at Jisung’s affectionate behavior, who’s mumbling nonsense.

“Jesus, why did he drink so much?” Jaemin worries, patting his baby chick’s head.

“Dude, I didn’t even need to say anything! Chenle is the bad influence here, not me!” Hyuck throws his hands up at Nana’s deadly glare. As if on cue, the second youngest of your friend group gathers everybody’s attention in the crowd, pulling 127 boy Jaehyun on the table he’s standing on to make a speech.

“There’s no damn way…” You whistle at the sight, Jaehyun patting the underclass man in pride.

Jisung mumbles something into Jeno’s stomach and the older boy leans down to hear him better.

“Hm… w-wanna go… home…” Jisung hiccups, eyes barely open and Jeno nods.

“I better bring this idiot home. I’ll probably have to sneak his dumb ass past the RA, I’ll be right back.” Jeno grunts as he wraps Jisung’s long arms around his neck, practically carrying the beanstalk like a backpack.

“It’s okay, I’ll do it!” Nana rushes to switch off with Jisung’s dead weight. He groans, looking to Jeno with a grimace. “Ugh, you were right. He is a lot heavier than he looks.”

“Are you sure? I can help?” Jeno halfheartedly makes sure, to which Jaemin nods resolutely.

“I need some fresh air anyways, been here too long!”

“Do you want me to go with you?” You offer, only because you knew sneaking around the RA would manage to get rowdy with just the two of them alone.

“Nah, it’s okay. I better have a drink after getting back from this though.” Nana jokes and you shove the pair towards the door.

Jeno stuffs his hands into his pockets, low-key relieved that he doesn’t have to go back into the cold night. He had just gotten here and despite how disgusting it was thinking about how much heat was being produced, it was better than freezing outside.

“There’s our entertainment for the night.” Renjun lifts his cup in salute.

Hyuck nudges everyone to watch Chenle though, who wants to crowd surf but fails to, nobody willing to hold him up. Everyone starts cackling at the sight, peers practically making space so that Chenle won’t be convinced to just commit and dive onto them.

“Up for a game of beer pong, anyone? I’ve been trying to play all night!” Hyuck hooks around the boys, dragging everyone over to the foyer where two tables were set up. Tons of spills made you almost slip and split your head open. Thankfully Jeno is like a solid wall behind you, not fazed by your clumsiness.

He gets close behind you, hands still on your waist and breath tickling your ear as Hyuck and Renjun take the other end of the pong table. “Wanna bet Mark comes in for a celebrity shot later?”

You laugh nervously, getting hot under his hold and turning to look at Jeno’s expression. “That is oddly specific. How are you so confident?”

Looking over to Mark, he’s chatting with Mina and completely distracted from answering the door now. You’re sure that Johnny, the brother he’s been shadowing in the frat, would not be happy with Mark ignoring his job. Or maybe he would, knowing Mark was actually shooting his shot with a girl.

“I don’t wanna tell you why. Then you won’t agree.” Jeno argues, finally getting his hands off you to roll up his sleeves. You slightly roll your eyes at his words, trying to subtly look at the veins in Jeno’s hands' flex.

“I think he’ll come in later too. But I say it’ll be for us. Not for Hyuck or Renjun.”

Jeno makes a tutting sound, collecting the empty cups on your side and making the triangular shape. “You’re trying to sell me out here, no way. You’re just gonna convince Mark to come over by…”

Your eyebrows lift. “By what exactly?”

Jeno shakes his head, a small smile sat on his face. You poke at his side, curious. “By what? Now you’ve intrigued me!”

“Whatever. I’ll make a better bet,” Jeno nabs Renjun’s missed shot, to which Hyuck whines, “Mark is gonna ask you out tonight.”

Sputtering on the soda you’ve been sipping on, you watch Jeno whip his ping pong ball like straight butter into your opponents’ cup. The other side’s loud protests distract him from your obvious gaping, confused at the sudden thought of Mark liking you.

Jeno eventually eyes your expression, making a weird face. “What?”

“What? What do you mean, what? Are you insinuating Mark likes me?!” You angrily whisper, afraid that somehow the person you two were talking about would hear over the loud music flowing throughout the house.

“Why are you so surprised? It’s very obvious! At least in my eyes.” Jeno shrugs. The ping pong from Hyuck hits your stomach, confusing him. You grab at it, just tossing it without a care. The ball whooshes in and you don’t notice, still frazzled.

“You’re joking, right? This is a sick joke of yours?” Peering over at Jeno, he scoffs.

“No. Don’t tell him I said this but when we first introduced you to him, he said you were pretty.” The deadpan way Jeno utters this makes your eyes squint.

“That seems like an innocent compliment to me.” (News flash, you’re denying reality here.)

Jeno lifts a dark eyebrow at that. “When has Mark Lee ever gone out of his way to intentionally compliment a girl?”

You scrunch your nose at that, rubbing at the kiss he planted on your head earlier. “This changes things.”

Jeno only chuckles, plucking the ball from one of your cups and setting it aside. He closes one eye, practically doing the same with the other as he aims. He groans with a failure, looking back to you. “Do you not like him? He’s nice, though you haven’t known him as long as I and the others have.”

“No, no, he is nice! I like him.” The last sentence is pronounced like ‘I like him as a friend’ in your head but Jeno interprets it differently. Maybe the bass from the speakers morphed the tone of your words in his thick skull.

“You like him?” Jeno’s voice tilts high. Hyuck’s next horrible shot plonks straight at Jeno’s forehead, which he ignores in shock.

He’s never shown incredibility like this to show you. You’re diverted to denying his words instantly, not thinking of the consequences.

“He’s… a nice guy.” You look to Mark again and this time, he senses your gaze, throwing up a nerdy gesture of a peace sign. You wave back with a smile and don’t catch Jeno’s suspicious tonguing of his cheek at the interaction.

“Are you accepting the bet or not?” Jeno holds a hand out, which you wait to contemplate after absolutely dunking your next shot. On a roll.

“Mark’s wingman now, are you?” Your tease causes Jeno’s jaw to shift. He acts it off as confidence, nodding with reluctance.

Maybe he had gone too far with the little game of bets now.

“Okay! Bet!” You perk up, wanting to win this easy wager. Mark wouldn’t ask you out, no way.

Accepting the deal easily, you shake on it and smirk internally.

Jeno was easy to read. An open book, you could say. Everyone in your friend group knew it as well, which made him the butt of jokes and teases all too often. He made it too fun to poke at him and you’ve joined in on the game plenty of times. This was just another game of prodding the naive Samoyed you had, though a little different.

You didn’t really understand the reasoning behind Jeno’s disturbance all that much but he was the one that brought Mark’s supposed “crush” to you. And you’re not one to fuck with someone’s feelings that far, especially with sweet ‘ol Mark’s.

You were pretty confident the older boy did not fancy you though; he was never around you in the first place to hint at the notion. Mark was pretty private with his romantic life so you’re not all that surprised you don’t know much. He was glued to the frat more often than usual and has been hanging out with you and company less often.

To be fair, if Mark was with someone, hopefully, he was not blatantly kissing your forehead without care. You were never as close to Mark as the other boys like Jeno had stated before. You suppose if he did happen to ask you out tonight, it wouldn’t be so bad. But the desire to win this bet burns in your veins, even more than usual with the bizarre behavior Jeno is exhibiting at the mere thought of you returning Mark’s so-called “feelings”.

“If you’re making a bet to win this game right now, you’re gonna eat shit!” Hyuck brags, practically vibrating in excitement because the two of you were somehow tied up. Even with this dude drunk, he could be somewhat decent at games. How irritating.

Biting the corner of your lip, you ignore Hyuck, plan to win this short game of cup pong, and then win this bigger game of bets with Jeno. To gain this extra favor initializes a step-by-step scheme of what you were going to do. There was no way Jeno could beat you.

Jeno watches greed grow in your irises, probably confused.

“So you’re confident he won’t ask you out.” He drags out his words, making sure you understood what you just shook on.

“Yeah,” You bob in place now, trying out his strategy of closing one eye to shoot, “Mark won’t ask me out. He’s not that drunk.”

“Really?” Jeno feigns interest, throwing his head to Mark fast approaching you, “You sure about that?”

You don’t get to answer, Mark’s alcohol-hazed eyes crinkling. Mina follows close behind, waving a greeting to the both of you. “Hi, Mina! Mark— oomph!”

Thinking Mark’s walk trajectory would stop before reaching so close, the junior bumps chest-first into you.

“Hi! Can I take a celebrity shot?!” Mark yells, overcompensating his volume when you’re glued to him. He swarms your space, placing a touchy hand on the small of your back before standing on his tippy toes and stealing your ping pong.

His mouth is instinctively making ‘Oh!’ noises as he readies it, failing miserably and pouting at the loss. “I could’ve sworn that was close, dude!”

You and Mina share a smile. She knew her friend was a little touchy when drunk so the two of you chalk it up to being just that. Jeno doesn’t though, burning eyes watching the tight hold Mark has on you.

Mark blinks rapidly down at you, pleading with big doe eyes, “Just one more shot I steal. One more celebrity shot!”

You nod, easily agreeing with a laugh. Maybe you had underestimated how turnt your dude was right now. Mark leans backward a little, losing his balance and almost toppling you over with him. Mina pulls Mark away from your space, probably deciding he’s had enough of bothering you.

“Sorry, he is so wasted right now.” Mina apologies, pushing the boy away from your beer pong table to the kitchen for water.

Jeno makes a face that reads “I told you so”, forcing you to bend over in laughter.

“Jeno, you can’t be serious. He acts that way with everyone!”

“You think that Mark touches up every girl like that? He kissed your forehead earlier too.” Jeno genuinely notes and you pause. Just for a split second.

“We’re friends.” It’s as if that statement alone will end this argument and Jeno rolls his eyes.

“And we’re friends too, dimwit. We don’t act like that, do we?”

You shift at his words, uncomfortable at the sudden lodging of your throat. Oh, how you wish Jeno did. At least then, you’d have a pathetic hope he had an inkling of an interest in you too.

Instead of replying to him, you turn and take Jeno’s shot for him to end the game. The last cup is yours for the taking and Renjun groans with his head thrown back, almost flying off balance at the shove Hyuck gives his partner for more space.

“Okay, okay! Redemption shot, I got this!” Hyuck steadies his hand and bounces off the lip of your side’s last Solo cup.

“FUCK!”

“YOU ABSOLUTE DICKHEAD, LEE DONGHYUCK!”

There’s a forced smile on your lips at the victory, one that only Jeno can notice is fake up close. Thankfully, he doesn’t pry on it more, seeing as he knew you weren’t going to give a truthful answer in this setting.

You were starting to wish you had a bit of alcohol in your system, as much as you hated the taste of it on your tongue.

|—————|

By the end of the night, you had won the bet as expected. But Jeno being the sore loser he is, tried to convince you to drag the bet on. He was super confident that Mark was into you. Maybe his friend was too wasted to ask or remember your answer if he were to come up to you about a date.

“I’ll sleep on it,” You had said, “Especially since I pity you and I haven’t decided what I want the favor to be yet.”

With that, Jeno breathed out a sigh in relief as he walked you home.

|—————|

You didn’t realize how committed Jeno was to this particular game. And you don’t know why because you had honestly forgotten about it yourself the morning next. Maybe it was his pride and stubbornness stopping him from giving up.

When Jeno swings by your dorm, texting you to come downstairs quickly, you’re confused.

He’s in comfy clothes, hair a little frizzy as he hands you a croissant and a warm cup of coffee that heats up your body temperature.

You blearily squint your eyes at him in suspicion. “What are you buttering me up for right now?”

With no RA in sight, you usher him into the warmth of the dorm lobby, virtually no people around to notice your blatant disregard for rules.

“I’m not buttering you up. I just wanted to be nice this morning.”

Staying silent, Jeno watches your expression breathe incredibility.

“Really! I didn’t know it was a crime to be nice to you anymore, jeez.”

The bet comes to mind and you mention it. “You’re hoping I’m not going to make you splurge your money on my favor, aren’t you?”

Jeno laughs, the sound deep in timbre as the sun rises higher in the cold blue sky. “No, I swear. Although talking about Mark, he is going through it right now. I woke up to a video Doyoung sent me of him vomiting into the toilet.”

You suck your lips in, holding back a laugh. “You know, if you’re trying to sell your man to me right now, describing his hangover is not working.”

Jeno quirks the corner of his lip at that. “He probably drank half his body weight last night.”

You roll your eyes. “And here you were, thinking he was going to be sober enough to consider asking me out. Alright.”

Your friend shrugs, sipping at his drink. “I’m not wrong, Princess. I’ll show you with your own two eyes Mark Lee has the hots for you.”

Cringing at the way Jeno phrased his words, you stuff the pastry you were kindly gifted into your mouth, muffling your reply. “Plea don’ efer say if like ‘at again.”

Jeno’s shoulders shake at your antics. “You’ve slept on my proposition now, ma’am. What’s the deal?”

Swallowing roughly, you mutter, “Can I raise the stakes to three favors?”

Jeno scratches at his hairline at that, face in a grimace. “Fuck. Is this worth it?”

At the hesitation in Jeno’s eyes, you jump like a hound to the smell of meat. Or in this case, a perfect opportunity to score on some free meals.

“Yes! Yes, it’s worth it. I accept your deal!”

“Woah woah woah! I haven’t agreed yet!” Jeno is shaking his hands in front of him, dangerously leering his hot drink side to side. He licks at the lid, the brown liquid sloshing everywhere.

“You brought this new condition up in the first place so,” Taking Jeno’s distraction as a chance to dunk cheaply on him, you take his free hand in yours, shaking on it, “Bet.”

|—————|

It was game on from the damn get-go.

Any chance that Jeno got, which was within a hundred feet radius of a certain junior named Mark Lee, he bolted to the boy’s side.

Poor Mark is so confused at the sudden ramblings Jeno has of you. He’s also even more conflicted because Jeno is going in on his compliments of your smile, smarts, humor, you name it. Mark wasn’t sure whether his friend was either crushing hard and needed to only confide in him, or whether Jeno was trying to make him like you indirectly through his selling words.

Another thing the boy stuck in the middle of this mess notices is your sudden disappearance from his vicinity. You two didn’t exactly share a class but shared a professor, who taught two subjects back to back.

Usually, you would wait around in the auditorium-shaped classroom to catch up with him, just say hi. But no, apparently you now bolt as soon as the professor calls it quits for the day. Mark had a greeting on the tip of his tongue opening up the doors, only to scour your usual seating arrangement and come up empty.

Poking his head out down the sidewalk, you’re speed walking away like your non-existent pet was on the verge of death.

Mark would brush it off to some urgent duty you had but… at the odd behavior of his two friends, he decides to swing by the willow tree at the end of the week. Maybe start his own experiment on what was going on. It just didn’t seem like a coincidence to him.

And right he was in his thoughts.

At the sight of Mark approaching the table, your eyes widen to the size of saucers, whipping your head around to Jeno. You want to slap his smug face right off.

“What the hell is Mark doing here? Did you convince him to come?” You spit out in a whisper, Hyuck none-the-wiser as he hollers for his best friend to sit beside him.

Jeno shakes his head no innocently, lips pouting out. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Swearing under your breath, you plaster a smile onto your face, breathing out a greeting to the upperclassman. He grins at you, to which your cheeks heat up for some reason.

Maybe it was because this dude beside you had been bragging about you to Mark. Jeno had told you his genius plan of planting unconscious thoughts of you in Mark’s head a few days ago and its effects are now catching up to you, sweat building on your hairline.

Jeno misinterprets it as you getting nervous in the presence of Mark, probably wishing rain to fall on his head at manifesting his final Lee brother to sit down this afternoon.

“What’s up, man?” Mark exchanges a handshake with Jeno as he swings his bag to the ground and tucks his legs under the table. He watches with rapture as you busy yourself with the textbook splayed out in front of you, eyes skittering.

Before Jeno can give a general reply to Mark, Hyuck bumps Mark's shoulder. “You should text Renjun your order from that Mexican place down the street.”

“Who’s favor are we using today?” Mark asks in curiosity.

You raise a hand rather timidly, to which the entire table is bewildered and bemused. The bewildered people are only Hyuck and Mark because they don’t know the absolute pain-enduring embarrassment to which bemused Jeno has cursed you to withstand. You’ve always been very comfortable with the guys, including Mark, so the oblivious two not in on this bet are raising their eyebrows at your behavior.

“What did Renjun lose against you again?” Jeno pretends to ponder deeply while you throw a heated glare his way. You wish you could burn his eyebrows right off in this moment.

“Oh!” The bulky meathead gasps, “He lost ten-to-two against a game of naming capitals of countries. Isn’t she so smart?”

Jeno is being so obvious. You grit your teeth as he pets your head.

“Take your hand away before I bite your pinky finger off.” You seethe past closed lips, the audience not hearing your threat.

Jeno jolts his limb away at that, instead, grinning a Samoyed smile toward Mark. The latter is mainly lost in trying to navigate what the fuck was going on.

Hyuck only rolls his eyes, a little more used to your duo’s antics. “They’re probably betting on something right now.”

Mark blinks at that. The picture was becoming a little clearer. He wasn’t sure which way to start investigating this dilemma next.

“No!” The two of you deny instantly, sitting up straighter. It’s even more cause to believe Hyuck’s point.

“Ignore them,” Hyuck acts like an exasperated mother to you and Jeno’s Dumb and Dumber act, pulling out his phone to show Mark the Mexican place’s menu.

As the other pair get lost debating what to order for Mark, you turn to Jeno with a death wish written in your eyes.

“Are you crazy, Lee Jeno!? What are you doing right now, you’re practically on the verge of cheating! You’re going to give this entire thing away!”

“No,” Jeno drags out in denial, acting like you’re a child that doesn’t understand his obvious tactic, “I’m just telling him of your intelligence. I have no clue what you’re on about.”

You’re heavily tempted to close your textbook and go bonkers Yeri-on-Hyuck style on him but Mark butts into your killer thoughts before you can pull through.

“What are you ordering, Y/N?”

You stutter to Jeno’s, albeit bitter, amusement. “Um, a chimichanga. It’s… pretty good from there.”

“Okay!” Mark perks up, tapping at the phone in Hyuck’s hand, “I’ll get the same.”

Jeno giggles into your ear and irritation bubbles to the surface of your skin.

“I swear to fucking—”

Mark interrupts your threat once again and you paste another pleasant smile on. “Y/N, I missed you before my class on Wednesday. You were gone before I could even say hi.”

“Oh, yeah. I uh…” You rush to make an excuse, “I really had to water my— plant. Yeah.”

You want to punch yourself.

Hyuck snickers as he texts Renjun Mark’s order. “What the fuck…”

“Yeah, what the fuck? You don’t even have a pet plant in your room. Everything you attempt to raise dies.” Jeno feels the need to contribute. You’re seething at this idiot’s audacity.

Clarifying your mistake in excuse will only deepen the hole you’ve dug for yourself so you shut up, wanting the ground to swallow your entire being whole instead.

“Huh,” Mark chuckles, “Okay. You’re not avoiding me for some reason, right?”

“What? Oh, no. Not at all!” As if to prove a point to Jeno, you give the most convincing smile you can to Mark.

“Okay, that’s good.”

Renjun saves you from continuing this conversation as Hyuck’s phone rings, pressing the speaker button to the call.

“What’s up?”

“Could two of you come to the restaurant real quick? I’m going to need help carrying all this food back.”

“Why didn’t you use your car, dumbass?” Hyuck whines.

“Because it’s a two-minute walk from campus grounds? Come help me!”

Jeno pipes up, “Make Jaemin and the two youngest help you. They haven’t shown up here yet.”

“Well obviously I had thought of that, Jeno,” Renjun sasses back, “They aren’t answering.”

“I’ll go!” You practically trip in getting up from the picnic table, dying to get away from this awkward atmosphere.

The other three make eye contact.

“Not it!”

“Not—! Ugh.”

For fuck’s sake. Your luck is actual dog water.

“Why are you so slow at this game? Your reaction speed is usually good,” Hyuck questions Mark, who groans as he gets up.

“Well, why do we always play “Not it” then? It’s targeting me specifically.”

You wholly ignore Jeno’s disgusting grin of satisfaction as the two of you begin to tread down the street. You curse to all above that Jeno gets kicked in the shins one day. It was looking like you were going to be the perpetrator more and more these days.

“So…” Mark drags out, his hands in his pockets, “Do I even want to know what it is I’m currently stuck between?”

You hum as you genuinely consider Mark’s words. “I can’t tell you. It’ll break the bet. And I really want to win.”

Mark’s eyes crinkle in mirth. “The two of you are so competitive. It might take forever for you to win at this rate...”

“Are you willing to be on my side?” You raise an eyebrow, secretly wishing.

To be fair, there were no very clear-cut boundaries to other methods of getting the dub. After all, Jeno is practically begging Mark to get the idea to ask you out.

You could still cheat but not… outright cheat.

“I guess so, as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone.” Mark shrugs innocently. You fold your hands together, laughing under your breath as you close your eyes while looking up.

“Damn, this is serious, dude.” Mark laughs boisterously, observing your silly act of gratitude.

“It’s on three favors,” You mumble past your silent prayers to the sky, “Of course this is serious.”

“Three? Shit… Well, you have me at your disposal as long as you don’t tell me what the bet is, right? What should I do?”

You smirk, finally looking at Mark with sinister eyes.

The ball is in your field now.

|—————|

“Huh.”

Jaemin looks up from his laptop to Jeno who makes the noise of discernment, watching two figures from afar. Following his best friend’s eyeline, you and Mark are walking side-by-side toward the commons. You’re grinning as Mark laughs, bent over with difficulty while walking.

“When did they get closer?” Jaemin asks in bewilderment. Jeno stays silent as Mark holds the door open for you and the both of you disappear into the commons.

“Don’t know,” Jeno mumbles, finally looking down to his device and rereading the same paragraph over again.

Jaemin makes a face at that, having been able to read his buddy for a while now.

“So…”

Jeno sighs, knowing that Jaemin is obviously hinting at something. “Spit it out.”

“What bet did you make with Y/N?”

Jeno side-eyes Jaemin with annoyance. “How do you even know anything about this?”

“I have my ways,” Jaemin concludes mysteriously, “Answer me.”

“We bet at Johnny’s party two weeks ago.”

“On what though?”

“I said Mark would ask her out.”

Jaemin snorts at that, going back to his laptop. “He’s not into her. He likes Mina.”

“Yeah, well, it doesn’t really seem that way anymore. They’re getting all giggly and close with one another.” Jeno has a tone of temper growing in his words.

“If the bet is over then, why is this dragging on?”

“I raised it to three favors now. It’s indefinite.”

Jaemin glances at Jeno again with fingers halted on his keyboard, holding back laughter. “Why would you ever, under any conditions, accept that? Against Y/N of all people too? She’s going to drain your wallet for food.”

“She’s convincing.”

“Or you’re whipped for her.”

“I’m not.” Jeno gives a dirty look to the poor paragraph he’s been on for five minutes.

“You’re in deep denial, bud. I’ve been saying this for an eternity.”

Jeno scowls at his best friend, not appreciating the entertained, twinkling eyes shot his way. Jaemin tilts his chin toward his neck, looking up through his long eyelashes at Jeno.

“Deny it all you want but I know my shit. She likes you, you like her. It’s simple.” Jaemin chirps.

“Oh, and you’re the love expert, aren’t you, playboy?” Jeno’s exasperated, practically pouting. “I don’t like Y/N.”

“Really? Why are you bothered with the idea of Y/N being with Mark then? You’re the one that suggested to her Mark was interested. Now that Y/N is entertaining the idea, you’ve backed off on trying to win,” Jaemin lands a slap on Jeno’s back, “You’re deserving of what you’re putting yourself through, man.”

Jeno sighs as he folds his arms onto the table, laying his chin down. “I don’t like it when you speak sense.”

“For one, I’ve always been speaking sense. But I’m glad you’re finally acknowledging my genius good points. I’ve been trying to get through your thick skull about her for two years.” Jaemin nods in gratification, glad Jeno is opening his eyes a little, even if it took some good ‘ole jealousy to stir his best friend’s heart around.

|—————|

“Ow!”

You cringe, the corners of your mouth reaching your ears. “Sorry! Didn’t mean to do that.”

“S’okay.” He grumbles at the way, rubbing at the eye you just poked.

Pressing the face mask firmer on Mark’s already milky skin, you fixate on a bump and attempt to smooth it over. Once you’re satisfied, you wipe your hands on your pajama pants and clap in completion.

“Perfect!” Twisting Mark’s shoulders around so that he shifts on the bed to face his mirror, he immediately ruins your hard work by bursting into laughter at the sight of the sheet mask on his face.

“Mark! You fucking ruined it!” You can’t help but fall in line with your friend’s contagious sounds of amusement, slapping his arm lightly for him to face you and fix it again.

“I’m sorry! I look so stupid, I can’t—”

Urging him to sit up straight, you shake your head side to side, not able to be actually mad when Mark was so humored by the new experience of night skincare.

“Whatever. I guess I don’t care since you paid for dinner and I paid for this.” Grinning down at him, knees planted on the bed, Mark naturally returns your smile and regrets it as you lightly pinch his ear in retaliation for again, messing up your hard work.

“My bad, my bad. But it’s whatever. Pizza isn’t expensive.”

“That restaurant is kind of expensive though.” You mutter under your breath, brushing Mark’s hair from his head and adjusting his baby lion headband you bought for this tiny sleepover.

“It’s chill. No big deal.”

Settling back to sit on your heels, you raise a teasing eyebrow. “And if I make you sleep on the couch in the living room?”

Mark falls line and sinker, pouting a little. “You said we would put pillows between us tonight.”

Laughing lightly, you rush to reassure Mark. “I’m joking, you know I am,” Throwing yourself back to the pillows on your friend’s bed, you pat the spot beside you and Mark follows, “What movies do you wanna watch?”

He hums, tugging his laptop from its charger on the bedside table, “Didn’t we decide on binging the Tom Holland Spiderman movies earlier this week?”

“Oh yeah, I forgot about that! I—”

Your phone begins to buzz incessantly on his nightstand and you peer at it. “Oh. It’s Jeno.”

Mark makes a suggestive face at that and you scoff.

You and Mark have gotten closer over your comradery of this bet with Jeno. And not in a romantic way, just more of genuinely enjoying each other’s company as friends.

Yeah, sure, the times to hang out at first were very much arranged and a little awkward. And Mark being the star student he is, was always studying or doing something productive but you two balanced each other out. You’re glad this entire thing with Jeno has gotten you to know Mark better. You two were way more similar than you thought. Mark inspires you to be productive with your weekly library study sessions and you remind Mark to not stress so much and have a breather sometimes.

Over this bet, you’ve gained a closer friend and you’re not mad about it. The bet wasn’t ruined either since you hadn’t clued into Mark what the whole deal was about but he had an inkling; you just couldn’t confirm his suspicions.

What Mark did confirm though was your very obvious feelings for Jeno. And no, you did not need to tell him. It was a bit obvious and as much as Mark was oblivious to many types of things, your subtlety about Lee Jeno somewhat escaped everybody else’s eyes in your friend group except for him.

(It was not because Mark caught you staring at a secret screenshot of Jeno’s gym picture he snapped you one time. Nope. No way.)

“Answer him. What are you waiting for?” Mark throws a hand over to your device, laptop placed aside for now.

Sighing, you press the answer button. Jeno’s sleepy face drowns your phone screen and your heart palpitates at his soft look and droopy eyes.

“Hey.” His timbre is deep with sleepiness and you resist the urge to physically make a cooing sound.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Was gonna ask you the same.” Jeno twists to lay on his side in bed, only illuminated with the light of his phone screen.

“Chilling with Mark,” You flip the camera to Mark, who is busy scrolling and puts up a hand in hello, “Sleepover things, you know. Ate out earlier too.”

You can’t register the look on Jeno’s face all that well with the way he shifts the phone to sit up in bed. But Jeno’s tone dies a little of interest and the natural quirk on his lips downturn as well.

“Oh… I like your facemasks.”

“Thanks!” You pat at your own, peering at Mark for a second and checking on his, “Mark kept fucking up his for ten minutes. It was a big hassle.”

“That is not true. It was five minutes, max.” Mark pouts offscreen, patting at your cheek where the edge is lifting. Jeno catches his friend’s hand touching your face and feels a bubble of crossness pop in his chest.

“Whatever makes you feel better,” You smile off to the side, returning to Jeno and sensing his emotions change. “So uh, you didn’t say what you were doing.”

“Oh. I was calling to ask if you wanted to do something.”

You feel a weight fall to the pit of your stomach in a split second. “Shit, sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Jeno picks at a thread on his mattress.

Mark butts in, leaning his chin on your shoulder and coming into view. “Come swing by. Hyuck is here right now, hanging with Taeil playing Mario Kart.”

“Nah.”

You furrow your eyebrows, confused. “Didn’t you want to spend time with us? Come on.”

“I changed my mind,” Jeno smiles with no real power behind it. At the mention of “us”, Jeno flips his desires, not willing to out himself, and say he just wanted you for company right now. There’s a hollowness in the expression he has pasted on and you bristle at it, bothered at his show of trying to hide.

“Okay… text me. Actually, scratch that— I’ll text you.”

“Alright. Night.”

“Bye—”

A bit dejected at Jeno cutting you off and ending the call quickly on his side, your hand loosens and falls straight into your lap, phone in grip.

“That was weird,” Mark mumbles, popping open a bag of chips and chewing a bit obnoxiously. “What are you gonna text him?”

You follow his hand’s path and dig to grab a crisp too, sighing in agreement. “He was being a bit off. I’ll just check on him.”

Mark hums, smiling a little. “You know him well.”

You shrug at Mark’s words. “He’s easy to read.”

“Oh yeah?” Mark goads, “How come you don’t notice the way he looks at you then?”

“Huh?”

The face and noise of confusion you make, automatically has Mark thinking of the boy you two were talking about.

“What do you mean, ‘Huh?’ It’s so obvious.” He mocks, making an exaggerated face to imitate you.

“What? What is?”

Mark lets you stew in silence for a few moments to try and grasp what he was hinting at. At your lost expression, Mark’s facial muscles relax, a blank look overtaking his task of chewing.

“You’re joking, right?”

Now you laugh, incredibly baffled and feeling called out. “Mark, what? What are you trying to say?”

“You dumb bimbo.”

“Excuse me?!” You run out of breath, a smile still plastered on at the audacity this man has calling you a bimbo of all things.

Mark resumes his munching, shaking his head with mirth, and returns back to his phone. “You two are lost causes.”

“Lost c— What the—?”

He doesn’t elaborate, now ignoring you and waving a hand for you to proceed to text Jeno. Sighing, you drop this subject, albeit with difficulty because the kindest boy on Earth (well, you presumed so until now) just called you a bimbo.

You’re a little flattered at the attractive aspect attached to that word but still… rude.

You

hey, are you good?

you seemed off over facetime

He reads your message but there’s no bubble showing you Jeno is thinking of replying. You elaborate, trying to yank some information out of this kid.

You

if something’s up, i’ll raincheck with mark and come by

Jeno :3

nah, i’m good

don’t cancel your plans for me

was bored and didn’t know you had plans already

You

hyuck is here too like mark said

you can join us and watch spiderman :0

doyoung’s home as well

Jeno :3

don’t worry princess, i’m good

promise

have fun with mark

Biting your lip at the nickname, you rush to reply and not seem so affected by it over text. He’s never messaged and called you the nickname over the phone before. It seems more… flirty and intimate.

You

okay, nighty night :D

Just as you’re about to put down your phone, it buzzes in your hand once more, lighting up with one last unread message from Jeno. Opening it, your brows furrow. Mark curiously peeks at your phone at the vague face you’re displaying.

Jeno :3

wait one more thing

are you and mark??

You

are me and mark what

Mark carefully watches your eyes, flittering as you watch Jeno’s typing bubble appear. It takes the latter a minute to reply; Mark counts in his head.

Jeno :3

are you two dating?

have i… ya know

are you sitting too close to him to tell me you know what?

Your brows lift, finally looking to Mark and realizing his proximity to you. Yelping and backing up a little, Mark laughs.

“Is he mentioning the bet? What are you going to say?”

“Yeah, he is. And what do you mean, ‘What am I going to say?’ We obviously aren’t.” You snort, beginning to type your response.

Mark snatches the phone straight out of your grasp, lifting it out of your reach. Crossing your arms in impatience, you frown.

“Hear me out.”

“Uh-huh.” There’s levity in your voice.

“Be ambiguous.”

“And why would I do that exactly?”

Mark doesn’t appreciate the sass, rolling his eyes a bit. “Come on, catch up Y/N. Get a clue as to how Jeno feels about you.”

“Why are you suggesting this? He obviously doesn’t see me that way.”

“How do you really know that, though? You haven't been in a real relationship in college yet, right?”

Nodding, Mark carries on. “And Jeno knows this… right? Do you see where I’m going…?”

“Mark, please get to the point. I’m about to get an aneurysm following this plotline you’ve got going on.”

“Just don’t say no directly and see whether he acts super jealous of you being with someone else.”

Sighing, you droop into the pillows.

“Give it a try. And I’m agreeing to this whole scheme too, you’ve got my permission.” Mark encourages, bumping your forearm.

“Fine,” You give in, making a “gimme, gimme” motion for Mark to hand your phone back into your possession.

You

no, you haven’t won

we haven’t talked like that

i suppose i’m not against the idea tho

Jeno :3

it seems like you two are seeing each other

Mark makes a noise that is similar to being translated to “I told you so!” as Jeno adds to his statement a few seconds after his last text.

Jeno :3

did you notice the way he looked at you on ft?

Mark bursts into laughter but you don’t follow suit, genuinely befuddled. “This kid is so lovesick.”

Ignoring Mark’s comment, you reply back for more clarification.

You

no???

how

Jeno :3

like you hold the fucking moon in your hands idk

i’ve been telling you, he likes you

Mark takes your device again and you panic, fighting for it. “Don’t you dare! Make it sound like me, idiot!”

“Okay, okay! Relax, I got this!”

You

Would you be okay with me getting with Mark?

Does it bother you?

“MARK LEE! YOU DUMB BITCH!” Yanking the pillow from behind Mark, you begin to whack the heedless boy, angry beyond belief at his obvious text. “Could you have been any less discreet?!”

“STOP! Oh my God, stop! Look at what he said back!!!” Mark begs, cradling your conversation with Jeno like a baby and offering it over as a token of peace.

Jeno :3

i just don’t want you to get hurt

You

you tell me, you know him better

would he hurt me?

Engulfed in Jeno’s texts now, Mark mumbles over your shoulder, “I would be an amazing boyfriend to anyone.”

“Shut up, I dislike you right now.”

Mark shrinks, lips sucked into his mouth to stay silent.

Jeno :3

not intentionally

he’s a good guy

You’re grasping at straws, unable to believe your eyes. He was jealous, holy shit.

You’ve gotten to know Jeno’s speaking mannerisms, his facial expressions, his texting habits well, and yet you have never seen jealousy as an emotion so easily read from him like now. You’re not sure how to interpret this yet, either as a chance that maybe, just maybe, Lee Jeno potentially has feelings for you or is that he’s just confirming your beliefs of him caring about you as a platonic friend.

You

that sounds passive-aggressive, even over text

Jeno :3

i’m not being passive-aggressive

ig i’m saying i don’t want to pick up the broken pieces after he hurts you or smth

“Yikes,” Mark whispers and you send a scowl over your shoulder, “Why’d my man word it like that?”

Making a sound of indignation, you press on your phone’s keyboard with aggression.

You

do you realize this is all hypothetical right

Jeno :3

well by the looks of it, you two are together already

You

jeno you’re being stupid rn

i just told you we weren't together

Jeno :3

and you just asked me if i would be bothered if you ended up with him

i’m answering your question???

You

look i don’t want to fight over text rn

i’ll call you tmrw?

Jeno :3

sure

At your downcast face, Mark starts feeling bad. “Sorry. It seemed like a good idea in hindsight.”

Looking back at Mark through your lashes, he gives a small tight-lipped smile and opens up his arms. You fall into them with a huff and he tugs his laptop back onto his thighs, also dragging your blanket over your body.

“It’s okay. I agreed with your idea. At least now I know he’s bothered at the thought of us being together.”

Mark softly grins at that, patting your head in endearing reassurance. “Maybe this will push him to actually do something.”

You peer up from the crook of Mark’s shoulder for a second, trying to get at what Mark means. “Push him to do what?”

Mark only shakes his head in mirth, black hair falling into his eyes. “Nothing. Don’t worry about a pretty little hair on your head. You’ll get it soon enough.”

|—————|

Leaving the 127 house and heading back to your dorm, the cold air rushes at your face. Your flimsy jacket doesn’t do much to keep you warm, the blasting wind this late morning waking you up.

Your eyes squint as you begin your trudge to your room and coincidentally, Jeno is standing at the door, looking to have been pacing outside for a while.

“Jeno?”

He whips around at the sound of your morning voice, puppy eyes wide in surprise. Jeno takes in the state of you, appearing like you just walked straight out of bed and snorts.

“What a sleepover.”

Wholly ignoring the twinge of spitefulness in the remark, you trudge past, not down for his attitude currently.

“Morning.” You curtly mutter, waving an exaggerated hand to usher Jeno into the lobby of your dorm. With no one around in sight, you figured it was safe. After all, you weren’t petty enough in this tiny misunderstanding to leave Jeno out in the cold.

He shivers once inside, collapsing onto the stiff couch and blowing into his cupped hands. Rocking on your heels, you stand before Jeno and patiently wait for him to bring up this conversation you two needed to have.

“So… have I won?” He looks up to you.

You raise your eyebrows. “No. And I said that last night. Want to tell me why you were agitated yesterday?”

“I was not agitated.”

“It kind of seemed like it.”

Jeno crosses his arms. A small pout sits on his lips and the ice around your heart from his mean demeanor earlier melts.

“He’s… Mark isn’t…”

“He’s what?” Deciding to sit down beside him, your back leans against the armrest of the couch, body facing toward Jeno wholeheartedly.

Jeno looks to the soda vendor, eyes locked on the broken and shaky lights blinking in it.

“This bet isn’t fair. I realized last night,” He meets your gaze and at the blank look in them, you wrap your arms around yourself, “The indefinite terms were that… I would win if Mark asked you out and you would win if he didn’t, right?”

“Are you suggesting that I’m lying to you? Over a dumb bet?”

Jeno shoves his hands into the pockets of his sweats, brown irises fluttering away from you again.

“Let’s call it off.”

You sit up straighter, confusion stapled in your voice. “What?”

“Let’s call the bet off.”

“But— but why? It’s been a few weeks and you’re going to call it off now—?”

“Yeah, I am,” Jeno sighs, standing and turning with a serious tone. “I don't want in anymore.”

Getting up as well, you grab Jeno’s hand before he could leave without any explanation. “Jeno, are you being serious? I told you, Mark hasn’t asked me anything. We aren’t seeing each other.”

“Then why did you suggest last night you were thinking about it?”

The furrow between Jeno’s brows indicate his anger. Leaning back from the emotion, you can’t help but roll your eyes.

“Jeno… this is why I hate texting, alright? It’s a misunderstanding. I was just wondering what you would think about me and Mark being an item. I wasn’t genuinely—”

Sighing deeply, you cut yourself off and tug at his hand to get him to sit back down. Jeno resists the movement, looking frustrated. His non-cooperation to try and talk things out burns the fire within you higher.

“Why does it even matter to you if I were? I don’t need to be explaining myself to you. You’re the one that’s gotten me onto Mark in the first place, Jeno!”

“Look, I don’t give a shit whether you like Mark or not—”

“Then why are you acting this way?”

The desperation is your strained voice has Jeno swallowing roughly. The words he wants to say are dying to climb out of his throat but…

Jeno’s jaw shifts, eyes becoming cold. “I don’t want in with the bet anymore, end of story. Are we done?”

Water starts to prick your eyes, not understanding Jeno’s harshness. It was just a lighthearted bet, right?

Your throat constricts, making your belated answer sound forced. “Yeah. We are.”

|—————|

“Jeez. Who shat in your salad today?”

You glare, meeting the sight of Hyuck dragging out the chair opposite to you as the metal legs scrape against the commons’ linoleum floor.

“Not in the mood, Hyuck.”

The corners of his mouth stretch to the edges of his plump cheeks, bared teeth cringing on display. “Okay… I just wanted to update you that my mom wants your family over for dinner on break. Do you… want me to leave?”

When he starts looking around the cafeteria, you hurriedly grab your childhood friend’s arm which is hovered near his face holding a breadstick. “No! Stay.”

Your friend smirks at the needy words and in retaliation, you snatch the warm bread of his weak grip. Hyuck is on the cusp of complaining but eying the pout glued to your lips, he sighs and gives up.

“Want me to accompany your misery?”

Humming non-committedly, your cheeks puff out from the food you completely stuffed in its confines, not willing to talk much. Biting his lip, Hyuck hesitates to mention what he wants to say. At the puppy eyes you give him, Hyuck finally asks.

“This about Mark?”

You shake your head. But on further thinking, you take it back with lips sucked into your mouth and shrug.

“Ah, this bet with Jeno then?”

Stilling at his name, Hyuck shakes his head mirthfully. “I figured. You two argue?”

Swallowing harshly, you rest your chin on the palm of your hand. “Yeah. It’s been two days and I’ve tried reaching him but he doesn’t pick up. Nana says he’s ignoring me.”

Hyuck rolls his eyes at his friend’s shitty behavior. “Fucking idiot. Can’t take a clue for the life of him. Actually…” Hyuck aims his twisted face of disgust towards you, “That applies to your dumbass too.”

You kick at Hyuck’s ankle lightly. “Hey! You’re not making me feel any better. Stop calling me names, Hyuck!”

He hisses dramatically, grasping onto his foot like a baby. “Ow! Alright, alright! I was just saying… All of us have been watching this little footsie game between you and Jeno for a while. It’s annoying to see you two mope around when you could just confess and not ruin the vibes! Movie night was boring without you two yesterday.”

He makes an exaggerated devastated face to pair with his last words.

“Hyuck…” Your throat tightens and willing yourself not to cry in front of a lot of the campus population right now, you gather yourself more, “Although he’s acting like a fucking idiot right now… I don’t like fighting with him. He’s my best friend.”

Hyuck smiles softly, taking your worries more seriously now. “I would hope so. You two are the backbone of our entire gaggle of friends. None of us don’t like seeing you two fight either.”

Biting your lip, you lean closer across the table. “I’ll be honest. I knew that we were taking the bet too far when Mark was starting to get suspicious. And I feel bad for dragging him into it… Is Jeno ignoring Mark too?”

“I’m guessing so… Let’s clarify some things first though,” Hyuck pushes his high plate of food aside with your poor excuse of a salad for lunch, folding his hands in front of himself like a professional therapist, “You have to be completely truthful to me. No lying.”

You nod desperately, roped into Hyuck’s serious tone.

“Do you like Jeno?”

Breath stopping, you sit back into your seat. Your hesitation says it all for Hyuck while you look around, afraid of others overhearing. Hyuck gathers your wrists, willing your body to stop squirming.

“Are you okay with just being his friend? Or do you want to be more?”

You whine. “Hyuck…”

“Because if you can’t settle with just being his friend anymore… You should tell him. It hurts more to think about what could’ve been than knowing the truth in the moment. Don’t you agree?”

Hyuck stares deeply into your conflicted eyes, wanting you to understand him.

“But… but what if he says he doesn’t—? I mean, you said we were the backbone o-of— then everything would be ruined and things would fall apart!”

“Well, I’ll tell you this now Y/N, that boy is head over heels in love with you. You’ve probably heard this before but seriously… if you consider him your best friend and you know him so well, Jeno would not just cut you out of his life. Especially for feelings you can’t help.”

“Are you sure?”

Your open expression makes Hyuck grin, left hand going up to ruffle your hair in amusement.

“Yes, you goof. Now eat up some more breadsticks and let’s begin Operation Confession…” Hyuck grins sinisterly after shoving his pile of said-breadsticks your way, “How you’re going to confess to Jeno.”

|—————|

“Hyuck, I’m going to throw up in anxiety if you keep pacing in front of me.”

Hyuck stills at that, the trek he’s made and burned into your dorm’s floorboards halted. The fingers in his hair rip out, suddenly coming forward to play with your own.

“Sorry, I’m just worried for you.” Your friend’s eyes are wide, the nerves getting to him as his hands shake while brushing through some of your strands.

“Worried for me? Hyuck, you’re the one that’s planned this whole thing!”

“I know but now that the moment is finally here, I’m scared!”

“Hyuck, stop!” Yanking his hold away from you, you stand and jump to shake the butterflies in your stomach. Your chest felt tight and the breaths you were taking through your nose felt too short for comfort.

Thoughts of rejection and the possibility of the worst come flooding in like a thunderstorm, drowning your senses and bringing everything forward, including the pasta you and Hyuck demolished an hour ago.

“Oh my gosh, I think I’m going to be sick.”

“Woah, woah! Okay!” Hyuck grabs onto your forearms, guiding you to sit back onto your desk chair, “Y/N, you’re going to do just fine, okay? I’ve set up everything for you, all you have to do is be there and tell him.”

Your eyes meet Hyuck’s and he takes in your frightened expression with open arms. Hugging your frame tightly like you’re his own little sister, his own lids shutt with the sincerity he holds. Hyuck pulls back to pat your cheeks.

“Don’t be too nervous.”

You roll your eyes. “I can’t help it, alright? Tell me more details! I feel so out of the loop… I mean, it’s been a week and we haven’t talked. How are you getting him to see me?”

“Don’t worry about that,” Hyuck forces you to take a deep swallow of air and you do so with difficulty and shakiness.

“Let’s leave. Jaemin is waiting on us.”

|—————|

“Jaemin, what’s the ETA?”

“Uh… I’m in the parking lot right now. His class just got out.”

Hyuck nods resolutely, the most serious and grave face on. You clutch to his forearm, desperately leaning your ear to hear Jaemin as well.

“Okay, so what? Five minutes?” Hyuck digs.

Nana sighs over the receiver. “Dude, are you sure this is okay? He’s been avoiding even me for the past week because I’ve been bugging him about Y/N… we live together! Don’t you think this is going too far?”

Hyuck clutches the phone tighter, his hand blindly pushing your face away to get some space and focus on answering Jaemin.

“Dude, go with the excuse and do whatever needs to be done. Pop his fucking tires, I don’t care. We’ve getting these two clueless clowns together today.”

You pout at Hyuck’s words which are unnecessarily harsh. “I’m right here, you know?”

Hyuck ignores you, nodding at whatever Jaemin says in response over the phone, which you now can’t listen to. The both of them hang up.

“So?” You rock between your toes and heels, “We just wait here? This park is near his class?”

Hyuck finally turns while pocketing his phone, nodding. “Yeah, he’ll be here any minute now,” He then grabs onto your shoulders, shaking you like a bobblehead, “You got this, okay? Jaemin will text me when Jeno will head your way.”

Swallowing with difficulty, a noise between distress and a cry climbs from the bottom of your throat.

“Hyuck, no. No, we’re canceling this whole thing, I’m shitting myself right now! I mean—” You gesture toward the nice picnic dress you have adorned, hair pinned up and light makeup done, “I look so stupid trying so hard and it’s fucking freezing out! He’s going to be weirded out that I’m telling him all this in a fucking park of all places—”

Hyuck attempts to ease your worries but you’re unable to understand him, crouching to the ground and scolding yourself for being so optimistic.

You get up in a hurry. “Nope! Nope, I’m leaving, I can’t face him today—”

“Wait! Wait!” Hyuck chases after your quick tread back to his car on the dirt path of the park, urgently starting to whisper and tug at your arm when he feels a buzz in his pocket.

“He’s coming right now! Stop Y/N—!”

You register Hyuck’s words in your head too late, eyes bulging out the sockets when the turn on the path has Lee Jeno jogging on it. Worry paints his face, his dark hair is matted to his head with sweat as he desperately looks around. Jaemin is calling his name and cursing him to slow down, bent on his knees when his best friend finally stops but only to yell, “Where is she?!”

Freaking out, you whip around causing Hyuck to skid and dig the heels of his feet to stop himself from running into your frame. Looking over your head, he clutches your shoulders.

“See?! I was telling you, it’s too late to back out. He’s here!”

“Oh hell no.”

You push at Hyuck to start walking in the opposite direction but Hyuck shakes his head vehemently before yanking you back. You almost fly to the ground, stumbling with a yelp. It alerts Jeno, who looks over to the sound and recognizes your figure.

“Y/N!”

Your face turns furious, burning hot in anger. Hyuck freezes and shrivels under the fire of your vengeance, only to smile tightly a second after.

“Sorry!” He chirps before abandoning you, turning 90 degrees and sprinting straight up the incline of the park’s hill. Hyuck trips on the way to the top, finally reaching the safe haven from your wrath and putting up a clenched fist.

“Fighting!”

“You motherfucker!”

Genuinely startled when familiar large hands engulf your waist and turn you around, you come face to face with Jeno, out of breath and eyes wild with fear.

“Are you alright?!” He starts gently patting your cheeks, gaze fluttering over your body, “Are you hurt anywhere?!”

Jeno’s eyes flicker to the top of the hill, anger still set deep in his eyebrows. “Was that him!? The attacker?”

“W-What? What attacker!? Why would I be hurt—?”

“Jaemin said some guy hit you with his bike!!”

Leaning over to peer past Jeno’s forearm, Jaemin jumps when meeting your eyes, slowly placing his foot behind a tree, following it with the other to hide his guilty expression.

“You… didn’t get hit?”

Looking back to Jeno’s blinking, confused at your twisted face, you can’t help but laugh at the stupid lie.

“What— of course not! I’m fine! There’s not even a bike around us anywhere!”

“Then why did Jaemin—” Jeno catches the sight of chestnut hair flapping at the top of the hill, peeking eyes blinking over the two of you. “These dumb idiots…”

He’s tonguing at the inside of his cheek, head thrown back in annoyance. You suck your mouth in at that, finally realizing what Jaemin and Hyuck had planned behind both of your backs. Rubbing at your forearms, you cave in on yourself, shoulders drooping in anxiety.

Heart beating out of your chest, you open your mouth to speak up but Jeno suddenly whips his head forward to peer straight into your eyes.

His mouth opens to start talking more but something within himself forces him to stop. It was just like the last time you two fatefully argued.

As he considers how to put out his words, your facial expression is wide and hopeful. It causes Jeno’s heart to stutter. Suppressing himself from seeing you for an entire week was a complete miracle and a curse.

Sure, it felt good when his phone would light up, vibrating with your caller id on his phone. But leaving it unanswered made his stomach twist the first two days. After that, Jeno would constantly look to see if you had called again, like the imbecile he knew he was being in this situation.

Attempting to own up to how mean he was, Jeno would hover over the call button on your contact… but your profile picture would always halt his thumb from facing you head-on.

Both of your backs are facing the camera but you’re clearly smiling up at him in the picture. Your eyes are crinkled up to and although you always love to point out how endearing his squinted eyes were, he’s never had the courage to say yours were cuter in his opinion.

From there on, Jeno would think of how you smile when Mark is around. Like that time in the commons, or at the picnic table under the willow tree, or at that stupid sleepover. Jealousy would consume him and slide a hazy, red-tinted window of anger over his vision before Jeno tosses his phone away.

But a few moments later, he’ll feel guilt and stupidity for acting possessive of you. He had no right. You’re weren’t his and you never were.You never would be if he didn’t even take the chance to tell you how he’s felt for the past two years… You must hate him, you must absolutely loathe him for pushing you away like this…

He hates it too.

The wise phrase— “You only miss what you have until it’s gone,” is entirely true and Lee Jeno would bet everything on those words. If only he could turn back time and take back that small moment of curiosity at the 127 frat party. If only he hadn’t felt the urge to see whether his small suspicion of Mark liking you was anything solid. If only he hadn’t placed that bet and gotten your interest piqued.

But you deserve to be happy. Jeno, as your best friend, should want you to be happy. And right now, you weren’t if you were scared of losing him. The sooner Jeno gets over you, the sooner you could be happy again.

With this in mind, Jeno swallows harshly while digging his hands into his pockets, ready to get rejected. “Y/N, I’m sorry for ignoring you this past week. I’ve… been thinking a lot…”

You let Jeno talk, knowing he needs to get something off his chest. Seeing his face contort with how much he’s been holding in, your grip on your forearms tighten to avoid trying to comfort Jeno.

“You should be mad at me for how childish I’ve been acting over this bet, right?” Jeno peeks at your expression, flickering between the ground and your expression. You don’t give anything away though, only tucking your lips into your mouth.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what specifically?”

He hums, trying to gain confidence to look forward. “Just being a dick. I know we don’t have many big disagreements so I’m sorry you had to learn I tend to push people away like this when I get angry.”

Your laugh twinkles in his ears and Jeno can’t help but smile softly. “Oh, I know, you meathead. I just tended to be a bystander and not on the receiving end of the silent treatment.”

His lips quirk up when you cross your arms, brows furrowed. “Cute.”

For once, he finally gives into the urge of telling you, smiling.

“Horrible timing, Jeno,” You slap his arm out of complete habit, embarrassment getting the best of you. Jeno can only grin, happy to see your crinkled eyes make an appearance.

“And also, I look cute everyday.”

“You do.”

Squinting, you shake your head. “You’re buttering me up to accept this semi-shitty apology, aren’t you?”

Jeno’s shoulders shake in amusement. “Princess, stop thinking I have an ulterior motive all the time.”

“What’s all these compliments with the apology then? Are you going to tell me why you got so angry over this bet?” The rambling starts, questions spilling forward while you momentarily forget to tell Jeno your feelings, “I mean, I know we’re both competitive, and maybe I was taking it too far by getting Mark somewhat on my side to make you nervous—”

“You what—?”

You wave away Jeno’s indignation. “But I promise he doesn’t know what the bet is about! He just knows he’s involved! I’m still really confused why you pushed me away in the first place though because you’re the one who proposed the bet first! Really, if anything, you should have realized how unfair the bet on your side was before remaking the rules—”

Jeno sighs before interrupting you, bracing for the worst with cringed teeth. “It’s because I like you.”

The swallow of your saliva while rambling makes it halfway down your throat before you cough, turning in shock to not spit in Jeno’s face. You accidently meet Hyuck’s gaze, his own irises widening on his friend’s confession. Somewhere in the background, the loudest gasp is heard very conspicuously behind a tree.

“And I know I’m fucking stupid and horrifically dumb for not realizing it until you started getting really close to Mark but—” Jeno rubs at the back of his neck, unwilling to see your reaction to his words.

“Sounds very toxic for your masculinity—”

Jeno clears his throat awkwardly.

“But—! I’m working on it. I also know you really don’t see me like that, knowing how upset you were about how I was talking about Mark—”

You tug at one of Jeno’s arms, panicking at his assumptions. “How do you know I don’t see you like that?”

Jeno’s eyes go as wide as saucers. “Are you saying you do?”

“I mean…” You chuckle, gesturing towards the two mutual friends you had camping around the both of you, and then to your outfit, “Hyuck got me to wear a dress in the middle of November. What other special occasions like confessing to my crush would require me to look like this? ”

Jeno snorts, tucking your hair behind your ear. “Well, in your usual words, fashion sacrifices. And you look very pretty. Unfortunately, I’m all sweaty from sprinting here after thinking you got hurt.”

You curl your arms around Jeno’s neck, grinning with a slight laugh. “Oh yeah, you’re a real idiot for falling for those words so easily.”

“Seems like you’re stuck with this idiot now…” Jeno swallows roughly, smiling eyes darting to your lips, “Will you go out with me?”

You lean in, a hair's breadth away from making you two official.

“Bet.”

|—————|

“What did your mom say about dinner?”

Humming, you start the timer and face your phone’s screen up, returning to join Jeno’s watch party of the Yeri and company’s picnic table. Hyuck was over there currently, rubbing shoulders with the older girl.

“You’re all set. She said she’s excited to meet you since Hyuck bragged last break how he got the two of us together.”

Jeno looks away just as Yeri stands up, Joy jumping at her sudden movement. He peers at your side profile and the happy grin you’ve got on.

“Hyuck did not.”

You sigh, sending a grin Jeno’s way. “He did. He has my whole family on the edge of their seats, waiting to meet you.”

Jeno groans, his forehead banging against the picnic table. “Don’t tell me that. Now I have even higher expectations to meet.”

“Don’t worry,” You drag out while rubbing Jeno’s back, eyes glued to Hyuck slowly backing away from Yeri, “I’ve never brought someone home before but my family knows whoever I will bring home means a lot to me. That’s enough for them, trust me.”

Jeno turns his head, resting his cheek on the palm of his hand now. “That didn’t make me feel any better.”

You laugh, pressing a quick peck to your boyfriend’s pouty lips.

Finally, Hyuck’s signature high-pitched screech of terror alerts everyone in the campus plaza of his next hustle with Yeri.

Jeno hurriedly peers over to your phone’s screen, collapsing onto the table again in defeat. You don’t have to look at the timer to know you’ve won, instead further attempting to heal Jeno’s suffering this particular bet made back a few months ago and about meeting your parents soon.

“It was exactly two minutes and fifty-eight seconds.” Jeno groans, muzzling his voice and hair as he tunnels himself into his arms.

You burst into laughter, leaning on Jeno’s body as Yeri grabs a fistful of snow and makes Hyuck fall on his back with the powerful throw.

“Please don’t laugh at my pain.” Jeno peeks up at you.

“No, no, look!” You’re gasping in air as Hyuck slowly gathers himself and starts walking over to you two again, face completely red from the cold snowball launched at it.

Jeno can’t help but fall in line. As Hyuck approaches you closer, the funniest expression of a defeat is glued on his tomato-colored face. You almost fall back off your seat but Jeno clutches your arm at the last minute.

“You two enjoy seeing me in pain so much, don’t you?” Hyuck collapses into the bench, a flurry of snow fluttering into the wooden table. You and Jeno bend even farther forward, laughing your asses off.

“Well I hope that stupid bet you two just had was worth it. Especially given all I’ve done for you idiots…” Hyuck grumbles.

Jeno suddenly stops chuckling, now completely void of any humor and getting up slowly. “About that asshole… what did you say to her parents, huh?”

“What?!” Hyuck’s eyes are humongous, flickering over to you for some help, “Nothing bad, I promise! All good things!”

“Oh, I know you, Lee Donghyuck—”

“— Not the full government name…” You snicker.

Jeno bends to grab snow, “You and your devilish words probably spilled—”

“Of how much of an asshat you are?” Hyuck daringly leans his chin up, teasing your boyfriend in good fun, “Yeah! Maybe I did.”

With that, Hyucks rounds the table in a flash, using you as a shield as a snowball fight commences. Renjun, being just around the corner for arriving for the usual lunch, gets a clump of white in the balls and Chenle and Jisung pounce on their oldest friend for fun. Jaemin slinks in to sit on the sidelines calmly until you and Mark target him.

Your fear of ruining the friend group was irrational and this specific moment solidifies that fact. Because as Jeno drags you to the ground to tickle, fluff in his hair and in yours, you sober up. You take in the moment and hear the sound of those gaggle of chaotic boys you call your friend group in the back before tugging at Jeno’s jacket to meet his cold lips.

Let’s just say, as the two people being the backbone of eight, you wouldn’t have things any other way.

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