“W-what? They’re together now?”

 

 

“Is that true? Omygosh I can’t believe this.”

 

 

“No way! Tell me you’re joking please!”

 

 

“That smiley boy can’t just date Jeno! I mean--- Jaemin is way different from his taste…”

 

 

“Well whatever. Who’s betting they’ll break up in a week?”

 

 

“Girl, knowing Jeno they probably won’t last for 3 days.”

 

 

“Jaemin isn’t better. I mean, he dated 9 hotties in a month? That’s just record-breaking. Last time someone did over 5, it was Ten. And that senior graduated like 4 years ago?”

 

 

“But isn’t Jeno straight? He only ever dated girls before. Are they dating for some sort of experiment or something?”

 

 

Jaemin sighed heavily as he passed the corridors on the way to his classroom on a Tuesday morning. It’s just the second day of the week and he’s already the talk of the campus. Well not him particularly, more like them.

 

 

His and Lee Jeno’s relationship.

 

 

Who wouldn’t talk about it when Jeno’s just too famous for dating every single pretty girl there is inside their school and Jaemin being the rumored he is for “dating” cute guys here and there.

 

 

He felt bad for himself. He never actually dated anyone but a senior named Jungwoo when he was in freshman. He didn’t know where these people got the idea that he dated everyone he was close with but he knew they’re all nonsense. He just got used to people judging his sweetness and clingyness towards his friends who are, in his disadvantage, good-looking. He felt bad for himself because he was being leveled with Jeno who, in all truth, really dated all those girls.

 

 

It didn’t matter to him though. What others think and Jeno’s past, nothing matters to him but the fact that he finally found someone that he truly likes for once. You see, Jaemin might be affectionate but ever since he and Jungwoo broke up, no one caught his interest for so long until Jeno happened.

 

 

Jeno wasn’t a love at first sight, nor a stupid love-fool high school crush drama. Jeno was a constant, non-significant being in Jaemin’s life before. He knew him. He knew him since he first stepped his foot on their school. Who wouldn’t when he was the talk of everyone’s tongue on the first day of class. He’s handsome, tall, intelligent and really flirty. He even joined the swimming team and flaunted his body for everyone to see right after the first semester of their freshmen year as if everything listed above weren’t enough to make everyone drool.

 

 

Jaemin didn’t actually care about him. Not when he saw Jeno dating girls and girls alone. The younger knew to himself that he was gay, like super gay and a guy like him wouldn’t be someone that Jeno would want.

 

 

Or so he thought.

 

 

 

 

He never existed in Jeno’s world. Their groups of friends aren’t in any way connected. They share the same class but that’s because Jeno’s smart and Jaemin’s too diligent with his studies. They share the same class but only share few words when necessary.

 

 

Jeno never existed in Jaemin’s world-- maybe sometimes.

 

 

Occasionally. When Jaemin’s bestfriend AKA Lee Donghyuck would rant about how unfair it is that  Jeno could be anything but Jaemin’s boyfriend which would earn him a glare and a meek punch from the pretty boy.

 

 

Donghyuck had this weird habit of shipping Jaemin with anyone who has two feet, technically everyone who aren’t handicapped. But of all the guys Donghyuck shipped with Jaemin, he would always end up saying that his vote would still be for Jeno “Because Jeno is the only perfect guy I’ve ever met in this school except for Mark but he’s mine ofcourse” as qouted from Donghyuck.

 

 

Jaemin never cared about Donghyuck’s remarks. He never did until Jeno and his gang heard the red-haired boy talking about how it would be perfect if Jeno and Jaemin dated. He swore it was the most embarrassing moment of his life. They even heard Jeno’s friends teasing them and hooting when Jaemin and Donghyuck ran for their lives which left Jeno dumbfounded.

 

 

Needless to say, that started their story. With that one simple joke of his bestfriend, they both became parts of each others lives. Jeno started taking notice of Jaemin sitting in the very front copying notes and listening attentively to the teachers. Jaemin started taking notice of Jeno sitting on the very far end of the room looking out in the window when he wasn’t busy eyeing Jaemin’s back giving the poor boy the creep.

 

 

Jeno started noticing how cute Jaemin is when he uses his aegyo voice asking favors and ordering his older friends around. Jaemin started noticing how Jeno would effortlessly make girls’ jaws drop on the floor and how he would make everyone’s heart jump out of their bodies when he smiles.

 

 

Jeno noticed how everyone would whisper insults about Jaemin when he clings unto Renjun, or Lucas. When a senior like Jihoon or Rocky would ruffle his hair and joke around him. Jaemin noticed how Jeno dating someone became a less frequent news, until it completely stopped. It made him a little bit more curious about why did the blonde stop fooling around girls. A little bit more than he should.

 

 

Jeno noticed how his heartbeats’ pace would change when Jaemin’s around, or when Jaemin talks, or when Jaemin smiles, or when Jaemin just stands there without doing anything. He noticed how his body would react to every little things that Jaemin does.

 

 

Jaemin noticed how his heart felt a pang of pain when he heard about Jeno dating Lami, the prettiest freshmen during their senior year. He noticed how his eyes were filled with tears when he saw them walking around the campus hand-in-hand. That confused him.

 

 

Jeno noticed how the excitement that he always feel when he date pretty girls suddenly vanished. He noticed how the feeling of holding a girl’s hand wasn’t the same anymore. He noticed how his mind kept shouting a certain name. Na Jaemin

 

 

Donghyuck noticed the relief in Jaemin’s face when they heard that Lami and Jeno broke up. He noticed how his eyes animatedly sparkled when he saw Jeno walking into the cafeteria without a certain freshman trailing him. He noticed how Jaemin started smiling genuinely at Jeno’s direction, obvious delight could be seen in his aura.

 

 

Donghyuck noticed how Jeno started openly stare at Jaemin, how he could make the younger’s face crimson red as he examined him from afar like he was an art exhibit. Donghyuck noticed how Jeno would casually drop by their table during lunch to say hi and leave a carton of chocolate milk that Jaemin always loved. Donghyuck noticed how Jeno would always volunteer to help Jaemin review their lessons, staying behind in the library after dismissal and even coming to Jaemin’s house whenever he’s free to “study”.

 

 

Donghyuck noticed everything but didn’t say a single word.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Na Jaemin this is crazy! This is crazier than all your dating rumors combined!” Donghyuck exasperatedly said before banging his head on the desk.

 

 

Jaemin bit his lower lip as he tried focusing on the lecture of their history teacher and ignoring all the glares of Jeno’s admirer from behind his back. Their classmates were obviously boring holes at his head and he can’t help but feel self-conscious. Not to mention that he also caught Jeno staring at him when he tried to look at the older’s side.

 

 

“Shut up Donghyuck. It’s not like anything’s new they always accuse me of dating some hot guys out there anyways. The only difference is that it’s actually the truth this time.” He whispered back trying his best to stay calm.

 

 

Donghyuck rose up and eyed Jaemin like he just grew another head. “He’s not just some random guy and you know that Nana. He’s literally the Nation’s crush.”

 

 

Jaemin rolled his eyes but kept his mouth shut, opting to just taking some notes down until the end of the period. The two rushed outside of their classroom right after the teacher dismissed them, not wanting to be caught up in a situation with Jeno’s fangirls.   

 

 

They tiptoed their way to the cafeteria not wanting to gain attention as if the students would recognize their footsteps. They immediately left and ran to the school’s garden where they usually eat their lunch when people just can’t stop talking about Jaemin “the campus ”.

 

 

“You know what, I’m telling Mark!” Donghyuck blurted out after catching his breathe. He sat in a bench under a blossom tree and fanned his face using his hand.

 

 

Jaemin’s eyes widened at his bestfriend’s resolution. “You can’t tell him that omygosh no!” The brunette pleaded as he shook Donghyuck’s body to wake him up and make him realize that they’ll be in trouble when his hyung finds out about the whole thing.

 

 

Mark is Jaemin’s older brother who is a year above them. His building is on the other side of the campus so the news probably didn’t reach him yet. Or if it already did, Jaemin prays he didn’t think it was a big deal.

 

 

Whenever Mark hears the rumors about Jaemin’s “relationship” he would ask his brother if they were true; to which Jaemin always deny. The younger would tell him that he was fine with all the false rumors spreading about him as long as it doesn’t affect his studies and nobody hurts him physically. Mark was a little bit hesitant but he soon got used to not giving a about the issues circulating about his brother.

 

 

“But he probably already knows! Isn’t he on the swimming team too? Is Jeno not close with him?” Donghyuck questioned to which Jaemin shrugged. “And besides, why won’t you let him know? Is it because this time, the rumor about you and Jeno holds some truth?”

 

 

Jaemin fell silent to his friend’s inquisitions. Donghyuck didn’t ask him earlier if the rumor was true, but he knew the older would probably know the truth it as soon as he hears it. Donghyuck is a really observant guy, Jaemin bets he already noticed something before but didn’t say anything.

 

 

“Well… if it’s true would you get mad at me?” Jaemin asked, his head ducked low. Heat was creeping on his cheeks and he can’t help but get shy admitting things to Donghyuck.

 

 

The latter smiled at the blushing male, Jaemin really is cute. “Why would I get mad? I’m your bestfriend, ofcourse I’ll support it If he makes you happy. You’re old enough to pick your man anyways. Besides, if he ever hurt you I’ll come after his soul.” Donghyuck threatened, crunching his nose up to appear serious which made the brunette giggle. The two both fell in a comfortable silence as they started digging in their lunch, they knew the day is still long and they needed a lot of energy to deal with all the negativity that people throw Jaemin’s way.

 

 

“Should I… should I really tell hyung? The last time I checked, he and Jeno aren’t the best of friends. They kinda hate each other’s guts.” Jaemin sighed as he imagined Mark’s reaction when he finds out that his brother really is dating a boy that Mark always warned him about. Jaemin knew his brother dislikes Jeno’s flirty attitude and it worries him that the two won’t ever get along.

 

 

Donghyuck swallowed his food first before wiping his mouth with tissues. “Whatever the circumstances are, you know you still need to tell him that. The later he finds out, the madder he’ll get. Trust me, he cares about you a lot that he wanted to always be the first person to know your whereabouts. Sometimes I think he just dated me just so he could squeeze information from me about you. You better be thankful I didn’t tell him there’s something fishy about Jeno’s behavior towards you earlier.” He winked at Jaemin and the both giggled.

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