Chapter 11 | The Second Man

“Have you heard the rumor about Na Jaemin and that new guy?”

It was after class, and Jaemin decided to stay in the student center alone to do his homework for his math class, since Chenle and Donghyuck went to their respective after school classes. He was minding his own business, his attention on the bulk of mathematical equations staring right back at him in a challenging way when he heard that question from a girl behind him, seated on the other long table. Now, Jaemin halted his movement, his ears perking up, trying to listen to what the person being asked that question’s answer would be. He doesn’t usually eavesdrop but considering it was about him, he guessed he had the right to.

“Yeah,” another feminine voice said, “isn’t the new guy also the same person who Na Jaemin had a beef with?”

“Now that you mentioned it, I think it is. Isn’t his name Lee Jeno?”

“Yeah, I heard he’s from Seoul Science National High School. Could you believe that?” the first girl said. “He’s either really, really rich or really, really smart. He’s probably a son of a rich businessman. I mean, have you seen him up close?”

“No.”

“The guy looks like he just walked out of a magazine. His aura is different. He’s got to have one hell of a bank account to maintain that kind of looks. He probably goes to the beauty shop every day just like every rich, vain guy. Add to that, his arrogance is a strong indication that he’s a rich person.”

“I doubt that, though. If he’s rich, why did he transfer here?” the other girl muttered. “I think he’s probably really smart. The school doesn’t place transferees in A-Sections, but look where he is, in Class 11-A. He must be hella smart. But then, if you think about it, almost three-fourths of the entire student body is well-off, so...”

“If he’s so smart, then why do you think he transferred here?”

“I don’t know,” the second girl answered. “He probably lost his scholarship there or something. And besides, our school’s ranking isn’t that far from Seoul Science National High School. I heard that that school’s system is pretty dirty. That’s why some of the parents transfer their kids in district schools.”

Jaemin’s brows cocked in wonder. Now that those two girls mentioned it, he didn’t really know anything about Lee Jeno at all. The latter just entered into his life out of nowhere and messed the normal flow of it. He figured that if he wants to get back at Lee Jeno for always pissing him off and annoying the hell out of him, he should take the time to investigate about his life. But then, he realized that giving Lee Jeno the attention that the latter wants would only trigger for the raven-haired boy to continue doing the things he does, and Jaemin doesn’t want that.

He could care less whether Lee Jeno is rich or not, smart or not. Lately, he noticed that his mind’s been preoccupied by that boy, resulting in him to neglect his academics and do bad in them. His performance is getting affected by their nonstop fights and arguments.

“Anyway, going back,” the first girl said, “do you think they really slept together?”

“Probably,” the second girl responded. “Someone from that class tipped off that Lee Jeno gave Na Jaemin a paper bag full of Jaemin’s clothes. Plus, there’s a bunch of pictures and posts on the student forum about it .There’s no way nothing happened between them. ”

“Yeah, but we all know those posts are unreliable.”

“Then, let’s just wait for the first issue of The Vision for this term to come out. Won’t it come out in, like, a week or something?”

Crap. Jaemin realized how screwed he was. The Vision is the official student publication of Third District of Seoul High School for Science and the Arts that releases issues every month and a half. The paper’s usual content is the students’ and faculties' achievements, building plans, classroom innovations, innovative programs, national issues, and of course, hot gossip. Every first issue of the first term, however, there is not much happening in school, that’s why the first issue mostly contains school gossip.

“Oh my God, yes,” the first girl squealed. “Let’s just wait for it.”

Losing his grasp on his pen as it collided on the table, Jaemin face scrunched in annoyance. How could he forget? The first issue of The Vision comes out in mid-April, which means there was more or less a week left before its release. But then, the possibility of that rumor about him and Lee Jeno being on the paper was highly unlikely since The Vision usually get everything done a week before the issue comes out...unless they make a last minute changes. Jaemin wishes they didn’t. As he looked up, his eyes landed on a bad omen.

Xiao Dejun, the Chief Editor of The Vision.

Dejun is a classmate of Jaemin. He often watches on the sidelines, observing and scrutinizing everything and everyone around him. Normally, the official student publication of the Third District of Seoul National High School for Science and the Arts elects a twelfth grader for the Editor-in-Chief position. With Xiao Dejun’s exceptional skill in writing, as well as his ability to lead and make concrete decisions, however, he broke one of the most sacred and longest traditions of the publication. Not only that, he was also one of the four chief editors to be of foreign descent ever since the school’s founding.

The problem? Xiao Dejun hates Jaemin’s guts.

Back in tenth grade, Jaemin and Donghyuck became good friends with Xiao Dejun. They didn’t talk to each other much, considering they had different cliques, but they were friends, nevertheless. Xiao Dejun is a fairly reserved and quiet guy, and Jaemin understood that.

At some point in their friendship, Donghyuck and Xiao Dejun’s bond began to get deeper. Xiao Dejun would hangout with Donghyuck in every chance he gets and do all the little things he could to make the latter happy. Later on, Xiao Dejun’s feelings for Jaemin’s best friend developed overtime, and he decided to confess.

It didn’t go well.

Donghyuck didn’t see Xiao Dejun as anything other than a friend. Sure, the latter was handsome and sought after by the female population of the school, and not to mention, intelligent. But there was something about him that Donghyuck didn’t like. Maybe it was the arrogance? Maybe it was the incapability of accepting his mistakes? Jaemin didn’t know, really. But all he knew was that he was blamed by Xiao Dejun for not being liked back by his best friend.

Add Mark Lee to the mess.

Jaemin isn’t dumb. He knows Mark Lee likes him. It’s so obvious. But he loves his best friend so much, that’s why he has no plans on getting with the latter. And besides, it’s not like he has any romantic feelings for the guy. Everything he feels for Mark Lee is strictly platonic, but he’s being careful because he doesn’t want to happen to him and Mark Lee what happened to Donghyuck and Xiao Dejun. Jaemin doesn’t want his best friend to be blamed by Mark Lee. Donghyuck has feelings for Mark Lee, and he’s pretty sure the latter knows. He doesn’t want Mark Lee to assume that he’s giving way for his friend because he isn’t.

Jaemin’s main priority is his studies.

“Uh, hey?” someone called Jaemin, snapping him out of his reverie. “I asked if it’s alright if I sit here.”

“Uh, sure.” Jaemin nodded rapidly, pinching himself on the arm. Park Jisung was already seated in front of him, sporting a bashful smile the latter pulled out his math notebook from his backpack.

“Hey, I just wanna say sorry about what Jeno-hyung pulled in class. I know the apology is long overdue, since he’s been pestering you for over a month, but better late than never, right?”

“You don’t have to apologize to me. It’s that moron who should be apologizing.”

“I know he’s insufferable sometimes, but once you get to know him, you’d find out that he’s a really great guy.”

“Insufferable sometimes?” Jaemin asked incredulously, chuckling a bit. “There wasn’t a time that he wasn’t insufferable.”

“Just please understand him.”

“Why should I do that?”

“He’s...” Jisung fidgeted on his fingers, refusing to look at Jaemin. “He’s not in the best place right now... ”

“What do you mean...?” Jaemin’s eyebrow raised in curiosity.

“I’m pretty sure you know now he ran away...right?” Jisung asked, to which Jaemin nodded solemnly. “Jeno-hyung, he’s kind of having problems with his family. It may not show on first glance, but he’s confused and hurt right now. So, I hope you don’t get tired of understanding him...”

“W-Why are you telling me these things?” Jaemin muttered, looking down on his notebook.

“I don’t know why, but for some reason, Jeno-hyung is comfortable with you. This is the first time I’ve seen him like this. I know he gets really annoying at times, but I think he’s doing all these to get your attention. I’ve known him since we were kids. Jeno-hyung has never wanted any attention aside from the father he hasn’t seen in years.”

“You’re lying.”

“I wish I was. It would’ve been so much better. I am his only friend, and he doesn’t even want my attention, not even his other father’s. Look out for him, please.”

“Why don’t you do it?” Jaemin uttered in frustration. “Why does it have to be me?”

“Jeno-hyung and I got into a fight...” Jisung sighed heavily. “So...”

“So, you want me to be his babysitter?” Jaemin closed his eyes momentarily. “Look, the both of us have been the talk of the school since the first day. I’m not blaming him entirely because I know that I took part in it, as well. But the recent rumor about us sleeping together is purely on him. I only helped him to settle in his new place because he almost fainted that night.”

“What?”

“He was out in the cold wearing only a shirt. Even though I hate him, my conscience won’t let me live if he died there. So, of course, like the decent human being that I am, I helped him. But what do I get in return?”

As soon as those words got out Jaemin’s mouth, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for Park Jisung. He knew that the boy across from him was only trying to protect his friend. If only Lee Jeno didn’t do what he pulled in class that started the rumors, he would’ve considered the favor Park Jisung was trying to ask from him. Now, however, he couldn’t. It would be like fueling the fire.

“Is there anything I can do to make you change your mind?”

“There isn’t,” Jaemin stated firmly, closing his notebook swiftly. “The first issue of The Vision is about to come out, and I already know that I’m screwed. If another rumor comes out about me and Lee Jeno again, I’d be completely doomed. I just want my eleventh year to be peaceful.”

“The Vision?”

“It’s the school’s official student publication. The first issue every school year comes out in mid-April. It’s mainly news about school, the students, faculty, and gossip. But since nothing major ever happens on the first month and a half of the school year, the first release contains mostly of gossip.”

“Gossip about students sleeping with each other on a school paper?” Jisung asked in confusion. “Isn’t that prohibited?”

“Not here, no,” Jaemin said. “It’s on the student handbook. The faculty can’t meddle on the content of the student paper, whatever it is about.”

“What?”

“There was a scandal years ago when a male teacher was exposed for blackmailing a female student into sleeping with him in the student paper. The girl was the girlfriend of The Vision’s Chief Editor at the time. She hid it for weeks. Eventually, she took her own life and confessed everything to his boyfriend in a note. Before the release of the issue that time, the Chief Editor was threatened to be killed by the teacher involved, but he didn’t have any of it. When it got released, the teacher tried to throw the editor-in-chief under the bus, saying the reason he did it was because he was trying to put the blame on the teacher because the teacher gave his girlfriend a failing grade in class. The student and the entire The Vision staff were kicked out because of it. Almost every copy of that The Vision issue was burned. The publication had new sets of writers and editors. It ran like it did before. The only difference was that it had an adviser. And they would filter everything.”

Jisung remained silent.

“And then the truth was freed. After the last term of that school year, the student who was kicked out took his own life, as well, due to depression. He sent a note to his friends, who were part of The Vision that were kicked out, and he sent his girlfriend’s note to the school. There was a massive protest about freedom of the students and all that. His friends showed it to the school. In the end, the teacher’s license was taken away from him.”

Jisung only stared at him in awe. “Was he jailed?”

“I have no idea.” Jaemin shrugged, heaving a deep sigh. “But yeah, going back, I’m dead meat. Do you know Kim Chaewon?”

Park Jisung tried to think who that was. He heard the name before, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint where. “I recognize the name, but I don’t really know her.”

“That’s because she is very quiet and sits at the back. She’s in our class.”

“What about her?”

“She’s part of The Vision, and she’s addicted to Japanese Boys’ Love manga.”

“And?”

“She’ll probably do everything just to write an article about me and Lee Jeno and have it printed on the first issue of The Vision. She’s too obsessed with boys’ love to let this opportunity pass.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” Jaemin couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “Oh.”

Although he said that, Jaemin wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to stick to his words. Sure, Lee Jeno might be the most annoying, the most arrogant, and the most egotistical person he has ever known, but he isn’t heartless to just brush Jeno off if he needs help. Jaemin is just not that person. Moreover, he now knows why Lee Jeno seems to always want the attention. The only thing he doesn’t understand is, why him?

Had he not meddled in Lee Jeno and Chenle’s, would everything that happened change? Had he not stood up for Chenle, would Lee Jeno pester the former instead? Had he just kept to himself and proceeded to go to their homeroom that day, would he even be invested in Lee Jeno at all?

Rising from his seat, Jaemin grabbed the large eco bag that was sitting on the table. “Sorry, but if you have nothing else to say, I better go. I still need to sell these.”

Without waiting for a response, he walked to the other table to sell the snacks in the large eco bag he was holding.

-

On the other side of the school, not too far away from the student center, Lee Jeno stood halfway past the line of the school’s open basketball court, his gaze boring onto the figure smiling at the students. He could see that Jaemin was flashing his smile whenever a student would hand him something, and Jaemin would hand, what looked like a snack, in return before approaching another group of students.

Together with Jeno were Lucas Wong, Liu Yangyang, and Hendery Wong who are all part of the school’s basketball team. They just had a two-on-two game. Jeno was sweating all over his face and body, breathing heavily as he tried to catch his breath, gaze on Na Jaemin.

Lucas ran up to and looked at him, the latter eyes shifting from Jeno to the person who was sporting the brightest smile in the student center. “You’re staring.”

Jeno brushed off the comment and asked, “What is he doing?”

“Probably selling snacks,” Lucas said as he shot the ball he was holding before looking at Jaemin, putting both of his hands on his waist.

“Selling snacks?” Jeno asked in puzzlement. “Why would he do that?”

“Uh, he’s been doing that ever since I’ve known him,” Lucas said. “What’s new?”

“Wait,” Jeno faced Lucas, his brows scrunched in wonder. “You mean he really does that?”

“You see, Na Jaemin isn’t exactly well-off. The only reason he can afford going here is because of his scholarship. If he loses that, he’s done. I think his dad isn’t earning much, that’s why he tries to sell food in school to generate an income,” Hendery Wong explained, walking up to the two and turning to look at the figure at the student center. “I can’t even imagine how he manages to survive. He’s amazing.”

“You sound like you got a crush on him,” Jeno commented ireely, his eyes sharp as a dagger.

“I do,” Hendery said, to which the latter earned a glare from Jeno. “Dude, chill. I mean, who doesn’t?”

Jeno didn’t say anything.

“Okay, I’ll rephrase that. I admire the guy. I have no romantic feelings for Jaemin or anything. He’s just a really great and hardworking guy.”

“You know who you should look out for?” Liu Yangyang butted in.

“Mark Lee,” the three, Lucas, Hendery, and Yangyang, said in synchronization.

“Aren’t you guys his friend?” Jeno asked. “Why are you telling me this?”

Lucas laughed lightheartedly. “We are. But we’re not blind to not see that Jaemin doesn’t like him even the tiniest bit. And Donghyuck is really trying his best to be noticed by Mark.”

“Jaemin’s best friend?”

“Yeah, have you seen that guy’s effort just to be given an ounce of Mark’s attention?” Lucas asked. “That cute boy needs an award.”

“If you think he’s cute, why don’t you pursue him?”

“Nah.” Hendery waved his hand off. “Lucas likes older guys. He already has his eyes on some guy that works at his dad’s company. What’s his name again, Kim Jungwoo?”

“Hey!” Lucas protested. “Jungwoo-hyung is not that old.”

“Going back, though,” Liu Yangyang interjected, “you mean to tell me, Jeno, that you slept with him without knowing he sells snacks for a living?”

“We didn’t exactly sleep together, not in that sense anyway,” Jeno replied, his eyes unfaltering. “I was just saying that to piss him off.”

“Okay, let me say something.” Lucas faced Jeno, clasping the ball in between his underarm. “Why do you always try to push him to his limits?”

“I’ve told you before,” Jeno uttered, “I want to get back at him.”

“Yeah, but I mean, that one time when you had him stand in front during Mr. Qian’s class was kinda harsh. I think that’s already a good revenge, but you’re still trying to annoy him. Are you sure you’re not doing this just because you like him and you want to get his attention?”

Maybe he does, maybe he doesn’t. Jeno doesn’t know. All he knows is that he likes Na Jaemin’s company, although most of the time, they fight like a newly married couple. He doesn’t want to conclude yet. What if he’s just feeling lonely? At the moment, he has nobody but himself. Maybe he just wants the attention he is supposed to be getting from his father or the rest of his extended family.

He’s always been impulsive, often getting himself into something he always ends up regretting being in. After what happened with Huang Renjun, he doesn’t want to put himself in the same situation all over again. But then again, what he feels toward Jaemin is not something he’s felt before, not even with his ex.

It’s the first and only time Jeno has ever felt like someone filled a void in his heart, in his life.

“I don’t know,” he answered truthfully. “And if I do, it’s none of your business.”

Lucas just laughed. “I must say, though, you’re the only person who has the audacity to push him to his limits. Everybody likes him, literally. No wonder you have a hate group in the school forum.”

“Hate group?” Jeno asked in confusion. “School forum?”

“Yeah, in our school forum. You don’t know that we have a school forum?”

“I don’t…” Jeno responded. “Nobody told me.”

“That’s because you scare people away,” Hendery remarked, chuckling at Jeno when he received a glare. “For real though, you might wanna tone down the teasing and taunting because they’ve created a hate group in forum.”

“I don’t care. The worst thing school girls can do to me is talk how Jaemin is far better than me.”

“Who says it’s only school girls?” Hendery asked in mockery. “The hate group is composed mostly of guys.”

“What?”

“You make it so bad, Kunhang,” Lucas intervened. “Don’t worry, Jeno. They’re mostly underclassmen. Some of them are senior and the same year as us, but that’s about it.”

“I honestly don’t care.”

“Although they could potentially beat your ?”

“I didn’t earn a black belt in Hapkido for nothing,” Jeno answered before going to the bench, drinking from a bottle of water. Beads of sweat were dripping down his cyberns and illuminating his face. The rest of the guys followed forth.

“You’re a black belter in Hapkido?!” Lucas eyes widened, his lips turning into a wide grin. “That’s so cool! I’ve always wanted to learn martial arts, but I’m too afraid something might happen that could ruin my handsome face if I tried.”

Jeno just smirked in response, collecting his things before finally putting one of the straps of his backpack on his shoulder.

“You’re going already?”

“Yeah, I’m tired. I just wanna go home.”

“Wait. So, do you wanna join the basketball team?” Lucas asked, his eyes hopeful.

“Are you even allowed to recruit people in your team?” Jeno countered back, smirking at the three guys as he ran his hands through his jet black hair.

“Okay,” Lucas started. “I’m not the team captain, but I am the Vice-Captain. I can recruit people in the team.”

“What about Mark Lee?”

“What about him?”

“He hates my guts, and he’s in the team.”

“He doesn’t. Mark is just the way he is, but he’s really nice once you get to know him.”

“I don’t know,” Jeno said in contempt, tilting his head as if thinking. “What do I get in return?”

Lucas stayed silent.

“I figured.” Jeno his heel, proceeding to walk away when he heard Lucas’ speak once again.

“Jaemin’s number,” Lucas started, “you don’t have it, right?”

At that, Jeno turned around, facing the three. “What?”

“I’ll give it to you if you joined the team.”

“Yukhei!” Yangyang interjected, elbowing Lucas in his side. “You can’t do that!”

“Deal.”

“H-Huh?”

“I said deal,” Jeno said, accepting the offer. “I’ll join the team and you’ll give me Jaemin’s number.”