The day began with nothing but just the old, pure silence that he was already used to by now. It's not so big of a deal anymore since he likes silence more than the senseless noises that he doesn't wish to hear. He has oddly grown fond to it.

As he was about to take a shower, he heard his phone ring, indicating that he had received a text message.

>>  Hey man, you comin' to school today right?

Smiling for the reason that his best friend kept on checking up on him to see if he was fine, he replied:

<< I'm fine already, so yeah.

He threw his phone lightly on his bed and went on to the bathroom. After preparing himself, he left the house in silence with a smile on his face.

On his way, a lot of people from his university greeted him, asking if he was okay and how he was feeling. He responded with a soft smile and thanked them for even asking.

When he arrived in front of the school gate, he found his best friend slightly leaning his back on the gate wall, knee bent, one hand on his pocket, looking so cool while talking to someone he knows.

He smiled while looking at them, showing his usual eye smile that practically hides his eyes to everybody who's watching him. Many were looking at him yet chose to not interrupt and just head on to their classroom instead.

When he was about to walk past them, he heard someone shout his name.

"Jeno!"

He turned his head to where the voice had came from and saw Mark come running towards him which made Jeno smile once more.

"Why'd you didn't come near us? If Yuta-hyung hadn't mentioned that you've arrived when he saw you, I'd be there all day, waiting for you," he ranted as he was now in front of Jeno.

"I was afraid I might disturb the both of you if I did, Mark," he simply replied.

"You know you won't. Stop saying stuff like that all the time," and Mark had his usual poker face on, earning a chuckle from Jeno.

“Alright.”

“C’mon, let’s go,” Mark said, motioning the other to go inside.

Jeno nodded, adjusting the backpack’s strap that he had on one of his shoulders as he followed behind Mark.

Both were now headed inside the school building. It was a little early compared to the usual days they went to their first class so they took their time.

As both made their way, Mark was talking about something to Jeno; some movie he and his older brother had watched the night before. It might not look like it but Jeno wasn’t listening. He was smiling at the other, occasionally nodding if the situation where Mark needed a reaction from his slightly younger friend arises, but yeah, he wasn’t paying attention, not at the slightest.

Mark knew but wasn’t exactly fazed and continued talking even though the other wasn’t listening.

Jeno not listening was something Mark was very much used to by now for all the years that they’ve known each other. The other was easily distracted by his own thoughts and had the attention span of an infant after all.

Jeno and Mark have been friends for as long as both of them could remember. Their parents have been friends before either of them was born and even if Mark lived at Canada for most of his life.

They were pretty fond of each other. They share the same interest in music and sports, so they became friends easily.

Mark was an easy going type kind of person, he was friends with a lot of people, but Jeno would always be the closest friend he has.

Jeno knows him the best even though the latter doesn’t say much but yeah, he does.

And same goes for Jeno when it concerns Mark.

When they arrived at their classroom, every person that was already there welcomed the both of them especially Jeno who had been absent for a week since he was out sick.

“Good to see you back, hyung,” said Chenle, one of their friends and Jeno’s seat mate as the latter settled down on the seat besides the former. “I swear, you were gone for a week and the girls couldn’t stop making a fuss about it.”

Jeno greeted the younger male with a smile. Chenle was a year younger than Jeno, he skipped a grade. He was a genius. “Thanks, I’m fine now.”

“Don’t be fooled, he secretly likes the attention he gets,” it was Mark who answered, seating down on Chenle’s desk. “Jeno likes it when people are making a fuss because of him.”

“No, I don’t.”

“But you are doing a good job at it though, everyone was worried,” Chenle said, not bothering to listen to Jeno disagreeing. 

“Except me,” Mark injected with a slight smug tone on his voice, quiet proud, a smirk plastered on his face. “Wasn’t worried even the slightest.”

Jeno turned to his best friend, wanting to question him but was beaten to it.

“Nice try Mark,” Winwin, another one of their friends, snorted at the other as he neared the three and joined in the conversation.  “You were tensed most the time when he wasn’t here.”

“Yeah. I’d say you were the most worried,” Chenle started, turning to the older. “Mark wouldn’t stop pacing back and forth when you didn’t reply to any of us when we texted you on the first day that you got sick,” the younger explained. “I got dizzy just from watching him.”

Winwin agreed, nodding. “It was burdensome.”

“I did not. And yah! Chenle, I’m older, it’s hyung to you,” Mark complained at the two who were teaming up on him.

“We’re on the same grade, I don’t think that counts,” Chenle reasoned.

“Of course it counts!” Mark argued. “I call Winwin ‘hyung’ don’t I? We’re on the same grade yet he’s older by a year, so you should do the same.”

“I was behind a year because of medical reasons so we became classmates but Chenle is here because of his brains and that proves, he’s older than you in terms of intelligence,” explained Winwin, sporting a smirk as he was looking at Mark, who was now frowning.  

 “Yah hyung, you should be on my side, not on his!”

“I don’t think so Mark.”

Jeno chuckled at the sight of Mark being flustered at the teasing he got from Winwin and Chenle.

It wasn’t every day that one gets to see the usual calm and composed Mark Lee be agitated at something.

Jeno finds it secretly amusing.

The teacher suddenly arrived; Winwin and Mark went back to their seats while Jeno and Chenle straighten themselves up and class began.

--

Morning classes ended in a blink of an eye, it was now their lunch break.

As the bell rang, everyone started leaving the room to head to the cafeteria to get lunch. Everyone left except for Mark and Jeno.

Mark got something from his bag, stood up and sat down besides Jeno; where Chenle sat earlier, placing two lunchboxes wrapped with a handkerchief on the table.

“Jaehyun-hyung outdid his self for today’s lunch.”

“Tell him I said thank you.”

“Will do.” 

Mark gave one lunch box to Jeno. “Let’s eat,” the latter said and both started eating.

As tasty as the food they had in the cafeteria, Mark still preferred eating homemade food for lunch so he would always bring two lunch boxes prepared by his older brother, Jaehyun; one for his self and one for Jeno.

Mark was finished eating first. After cleaning up, he excused himself to go somewhere.

It was always like this every day; Mark would usually go somewhere after eating lunch to one of his other friends, maybe, leaving Jeno all alone to himself until the end of lunch break.

But the latter doesn’t mind.

He had finished eating the lunchbox Mark had brought for him and wrapped it back with the handkerchief, planning on returning it to latter when he comes back from who knows where.

Jeno stood up and headed for the window. No one was in the classroom except for him so he de