___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ding, ding, ding.

It had been ten minutes since Jaehyun had left the classroom. Ten minutes and Jeno’s phone was ringing off the hook. He could make out the multiple notifications that were appearing on his lock screen. Lee Jeno glanced at it, his hand reaching over to bring it to his eyes.

It was the President of his Fanclub.

Jenonojamjenohaveabs is typing a message.

Jeno had spoken to her multiple times the past few years. She was the one who started his fanclub and had stuck to him till now. He expected her to say that she would be leaving. That she felt betrayed and she would not support him anymore but the message that came made his heart swell.

jenonojamjenohaveabs: our fanclub is working on an article.
jenonojamjenohaveabs: don’t worry, jeno. Noona will take care of it.
jenonojamjenohaveabs: you just eat well, sleep well, and we’ll protect you, okay?

Did he mention that she was way older than him? If he guessed correctly, she was around ten years older than him and doted on him like a young child. He met her a couple of times at his fan meets and was no stranger to her face. Jeno could not help but smile at the message, his fingers unlocking his phone to see that the members of his fanclubs were replying to every hate message that he had gotten over the past twenty minutes.

lovej_: #protectjeno who are you to say that you feel betrayed?
lovej_: not ur fandom not ur problem bestie!!!!
bunbun3: why would he keep it a secret? What is Jeno hiding? I always knew something was weird with him. He’s so rude too lol.
assfgh12: It’s the Draxian blood. You know how Class 7’s are.
bunbun3: ikr ew?? and his fans are worse.

But the ugly outweighed the positive and even if Jeno was not one to even care about those who badmouthed him in the past, it was getting to him now. He sighed, a hand going up to rub between his eyes.

Another ding. Jeno dreaded it but he was never a runner.

A new post from Park Nabi two minutes ago.

Jeno frowned when he saw that the post had been put up only for two minutes but it was already trending.

Park Nabi:
If you are going to discriminate against aliens or creatures over events that happened in history then…. Kindly leave my fandom. Jeno has been nothing but kind and hardworking throughout the time that I have trained with him and other people will vouch for his character.

I’m not sure if others will vouch for yours if they know you’re online leaving hate comments. That’s all I have to say.

#protectjeno #WeLoveYouJeno
 

He looked up to see Park Nabi lean back, clicking the home button of her phone to lock it. She must have checked it when another ding sounded.
 

Kim Bunny:
this is unfair! T_T Jeno doesn’t deserve hate. Jeno is so nice to me T_T stay strong jenohjam! We gotchu okay : D #protectjeno #eradicatethehaters #WeLoveYouJeno #IADOREYOUJENO #MYJENO #MYSWEETJENO #MYHANDSOMEJENO #attackthehaters #defendjeno

Jeno laughed softly, eyes going to Kim Bunny who was aggressively typing down on her phone with her tongue sticking out the side of her lip. She was replying to hate comments with a lot of colorful emojis and comments will all capital letters.

Oh Dana:
I will block, report, and take down every bad comment that I see about Jeno. My father owns an organization so wait ‘till he hears about you mongrels(!!!) going around leaving harsh words. Do you want to get sued? Do you?!

We protect our own people. Now, go like my new Instagram photo and trend #enoughwithdiscrimination and #protectjeno and #WeLoveYouJeno.

Shin Aera:
#protectjeno #WeLoveYouJeno

The girls have struck the social media wave and even if the professor was talking, Jeno could not stop reading. Professor Yunho seemed to let it be, the professor giving him a sympathetic look.

Dong Sicheng:
All will be well, my friend. #protectjeno #WeLoveYouJeno #defendjeno

Hendery Wong:
 #protectjeno #WeLoveYouJeno

Qian Kun:
WayV stands with Jeno #protectjeno #WeLoveYouJeno

Mark Lee:
Thank you for leading us when the rest were back in EPIC I and I wasn’t around. We’ve been through a lot, didn’t we, Jeno? Don’t worry, nothing and no one will be able to hurt you. #protectjeno #WeLoveYouJeno

And it went on and on. Some just photos. Some long paragraphs of how they loved Jeno. Jeno’s eyes stopped down on the last post that had pushed itself up to the trending page—Nabi was no longer the top. She was the first mover but Jaemin’s one had gotten so much popularity due to him being Jeno’s partner.

Na Jaemin:
Jeno, to the world you may be something else. But to me, you are my partner, my best friend, my roommate. They don’t know you like I do. They don’t know how much you try even if you don’t say anything. They don’t know how much you care for me. Until now, thank you for staying by my side and never leaving me even if I was always a level behind. Thank you for supporting me and telling me it was either I made it with you or you would not make it at all.

They don’t know the hardships we’ve been through. The way you would protect and defend my integrity when I’m not around. That is what real friendship is. Don’t get me wrong, you are very good on the field. But together, we are unstoppable.

P.S I once thought Jeno was an octopus. Do you want him to be an octopus instead? You sick freaks. #protectjeno #defendjeno #WeLoveYouJeno #MYSWEETJENO #ILOVEYOUJENO #MYHANDSOMEJENO

The hashtags went on, Na Jaemin typing down every hashtag he could find out there. He had changed Bunny’s “I adore you” hashtag to “I love you”, a couple of people pointing it out.

Jaemin smiled, turning to glance at Jeno before he winked. Jeno broke into a smile.

Chenji This or That Fanpage:
we love you hyung :D

“Alright, this is the end of the class since I know everyone is quite distracted,” Professor Yunho said, motioning to everyone. “How about all you take the day off since I know some of you need some comforting.”

A soft smile towards Jeno and it wasn’t long until the chairs scraped and everyone turned to Jeno.

“You can stop staring now,” Jeno murmured under his breath when small hands hugged him from behind. Jeno did not push Bunny away, a sob escaping her lips. “Kim Bunny—”

“Poor Jeno!” Bunny wailed, releasing him and toddling over to Dana who sighed. She opened her arms and hugged Bunny, patting her on the back. “He does not deserve this!”

“No one deserves this but can we talk about how you did not tell us?” Haechan complained, pulling a chair and sitting on it, legs apart and facing Jeno. “Were you that scared that we’d know? So many people in US Teams are half Drax. Let’s not even talk about Russia.”

“This is not the US or Russia,” Jeno pointed out. “The war between the Drax, the Ai, and humans also took place on the Korean Peninsula.”

“Please,” Haechan rolled his eyes. “How long ago was that? Two million years ago?”

“Wasn’t it thousand?” Jisung asked, everyone shrugging. “You should have told us, hyung. What can you do?”

Jeno blinked at the question. “What do you mean, ‘what can I do’?”

“Do you have night vision?” Jisung asked eagerly, showing his gummy smile. “I bet you have night vision.”

Dana scoffed at the absurdity before she froze. “Wait, is this why you like to run in the dark? Because you have night vision?”

“No?” Jeno frowned, Mark reading something from his phone. “I don’t have night—”

“That’s true! Draxian’s can see better than humans at night!” Mark exclaimed. “What else, bro? Can you like… un-attach a limb?” 

“Sorry?”

“Oh, yeah. Or something like if your hands fall off, it can grow back,” Chenle murmured, Jeno trying to grasp their words.

“You think I’m a lizard?”

“Not far off, no?” Renjun asked quietly, staring at him. “Jaemin said he thought you were an octopus.”

Jeno sighed and stood up, everyone’s eyes widening. For people who said they were not scared of him, their reaction was quite different. He pressed his lips together, hands on his waist before he spoke.

“Not an octopus, not a radioactive snake—”

“Damn it,” Jaemin whispered under his breath.

“And if you guys paid enough attention to history class, you’d know that Draxians are just aliens that have heavier bone structure, don’t sleep much and have higher body temps.”

“You’re strong, you don’t sleep,” Yangyang recited under his breath. “You’re a vampire!”

“Take your Edward Cullen obsession out of here,” Xiaojun scowled, smacking Yangyang’s head. “But Jeno is right. Draxians are just stronger than most.”

Jeno nodded, Xiaojun’s gaze falling onto Jeno’s long sleeves.

“Are you a red-blood?” Xiaojun asked, everyone not understanding what that meant. Jeno shook his head, pushing up his sleeves to show the blue veins. Everyone gasped. “A blue-blood.”

“W-Why are we gasping?” Mark asked, confused. Xiaojun nodded, pressing his lips together. “What’s a red-blood or a blue-blood?”

“Red bloods are the ones who serve the blues. Blue-bloods are of Royal Heritage,” Xiaojun said to everyone. “Do you players not pay attention to history class?”

“Hardly.”

“Well, us Control Center Students have to. It’s part of the curriculum. Blue-bloods are for royals and it means Jeno has Royal Heritage. Your father—”

Jeno shook his head. “My mother.”

Xiaojun raised an eyebrow. “Your mother? Aren’t female Drax really rare? Something about the fact that most women who bear children usually get men.”

Jeno nodded again and Xiaojun took a step forward.

“You’re telling me that your mom is—” Xiaojun began, Jeno cutting him off when his phone began to buzz violently.

“Oh, sorry,” Jeno murmured, grabbing the phone when he saw that the article has been pushed out.

The truth about Lee Jeno: Facts

Attached is Lee Jeno’s player registration card and it shows that Jeno had written halfling. This shows that he never once tried to hide or lie to the center.

And on and on about how he was adopted and brought up by his father. How he was abandoned. It was no doubt Johnny who they interviewed since he was Jeno’s gamemaster because they had quoted Johnny words when he had recruited him.

No one knows of your hardships and they don’t have to. The only thing you must work for is a better future. – Johnny Suh

Be kind, adhere peace, and be human. The three rules to abide by when you’re dealing with the rest of the world. Lee Jeno has done all three. – Do Kyungsoo.

Did they also interview Kyungsoo? Jeno’s fans were definitely a different breed.

“Okay, stop staring at me,” Jeno said to them and everyone looked a different direction. “Man, I’m hungry.”

“Lunch!” Bunny squealed. She had fallen asleep against Dana’s shoulder and had now woken up. “Lunch with Jeno!”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lunch had continued on, Yangyang snapping photos of everyone so he would be able to earn a few wons. I turned to Hansol, the male asking me if there was anything else I wanted. Jeno was having the time of his life—everyone going out of their way to make him feel better.

He was fine now, he told them. Don’t worry.

My ex-boyfriend got along well with everyone. It took me by surprise. Hansol and Yuta was in a deep conversation and I found myself studying both of them.

“They look alike, don’t you think?” Dana asked, her eyes on the phone. I chuckled, nodding.

I did not notice the ambience change when a figure began to approach the cafeteria. Dana did, the female looking up and about to say something when a hand grabbed mine, my body turning towards the person.

Jung Jaehyun.

I could feel eyes on both of us, everyone wondering what was happening. Everyone knew that Jaehyun and I were not exactly the same as we were before Hansol and Yena came.

Jaehyun’s gaze settled on me and I felt him tighten his grip around my wrist. His eyes seemed defiant—angry. He looked like he would wage war with anyone who’d cross his path. It was a look I’ve never seen on Jaehyun before.

Jaehyun was quiet as he tugged my hand to bring me with him when another reached for mine.

Hansol.

Hansol had stood up, his eyes flashing at Jung Jaehyun.

Both hands were held by my past and my present. I gulped, Hansol tilting his head at Jaehyun. He wasn’t going to go down without a fight and Jaehyun wasn’t going to let go easily.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Hansol asked. He did not snap but I could hear the edge in his voice. Hansol was trying to still sound respectful. I watched as Jaehyun’s lips tugged up into a cocky smirk, challenging Hansol to stop him.

“What I was supposed to do the day you came.” Jaehyun stepped closer to me, pulling me towards him so my back was pressed against his chest.

If this was a fight between the two men, it was obvious that it was the kind of tension that would build over the days. They both were dominant in their own way. Hansol was known to be resilient when it came to what he wanted. Jaehyun was known to be aggressive once his buttons were pushed.

Whatever happened with him when he left the classroom earlier had shattered his restraints.

Hansol was the king of being passive-aggressive and Jaehyun was just the same. I nervously tried to warn Hansol with my eyes but my partner did not seem fazed.

“Why? Did you finally find your balls?” Hansol asked, a contrasting kind smile on his face.

I felt Jaehyun tense up, his hand releasing my wrist just to slide down to wrap his arm around my waist from behind.

“Do you wish I hadn’t?” Jaehyun asked, Hansol’s smile sliding off his face.

“I don’t think it’ll make a difference,” Hansol answered.

“We’ll see about that.”

“Okay, okay, okay,” I blurted out, prying myself away from the both of them before I pointed at Hansol. My partner raised an eyebrow and I pointed to the chair next to Yuta. After a silent battle, Hansol relaxed and walked over to Yuta, plopping himself down on the chair.

I turned to Jaehyun and was about to say something when he took the opportunity to take my hand and pull me after him. I stumbled, Jaehyun’s feet bringing both of us out of the cafeteria.

I dug my heels against the ground to stop him.

“Jaehyun,” I began. “Jaehyun, what is going on?”

“I want you as my partner.”

“Without my permission?” I asked back almost automatically, snatching my hand back to cross my chest.

“It’s either you or no one else, Nabi,” he said back and I saw that he meant it.

“I don’t know what happened after you left the classroom, Jaehyun, but I am not a pawn in your game.”

“You think that’s what you are?” he asked and I could hear a tinge of hurt in his voice. “You think you’re just a game to me?”

“Look, Jaehyun,” I murmured. “Congratulations, okay? Congratulations for finding the smallest ounce of courage to stand up to Yena. I presume that is what happened. That is why you’re here saying what you’re saying. But how about the other times you didn’t? The people she had hurt and you think you have the right to—”

“I’m owning up to it!” Jaehyun snapped and I recoiled. “I’m trying to make up for it.”

“If that is what you’re doing, I’m not the first person you should go to. Also, I am not going to be caught up in a cobweb between you and Hansol,” I told him. “Whatever you both think you’re doing.”

I raised an eyebrow and wagged a finger at him, Jaehyun staring at me.

“Come here,” he finally said and I blinked, shaking my head. I side stepped him, Jaehyun’s tongue poking out the side of his cheek. “I said… come here, Nabi.”

“No,” I replied, bending down as Jaehyun tried to reach for me. “Not until—”

“Not until what?” he asked, his arms finally wrapped around my body. “Not until I make up for it? And how am I going to do that? Tell me. I’ll do it.”

This would be one of those times where Jaehyun would leave me flustered. I reached up to cover his mouth with my hand and his body shook, Jaehyun chuckling lowly. He wasn’t going to let go. I dropped my hands with a sigh, Jaehyun’s body relaxing.

“I want you to take accountability, Jaehyun.” I sighed. “I want you to know that what you did was wrong. You were just as wrong as Yena because you turned a blind eye.”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jaehyun listened to Nabi, his heart racing as she spoke. All he could do was focus on her lips. It’s been awhile since he had held her in his arms, Jaehyun biting down on his bottom lip.

“I’m not perfect, Nabi,” he found himself saying. “I’ve lost myself a couple of times and I know that.”

Just like that, he watched as her eyes softened and she reached up to run a hand through his hair. Jaehyun shivered under her touch, her other hand going up to cup his cheek.

“I mean it, you know. It’s either you or no one else,” he said to her and she frowned.

“As your partner?”

They were obviously thinking of two different things but Jaehyun did not want to scare her away just yet so he simply nodded.

“I’m with Hansol.”

“Then I’ll fight Hansol.”

“No? You have to talk to Kyungsoo about that,” she replied and Jaehyun laughed softly at how confused she was. So cute, he thought. To her, he was doing this to get her back as his partner. In reality, it was to regain his previous relationship with her.

The relationship that was a grey area between friends and lovers.

“If I talk to Kyungsoo, will you agree?” he asked, Nabi looking at him like he was an idiot.

“Why would I have to agree? If Kyungsoo allows, what say do I have in it?”

That definitely was not what Jaehyun wanted to hear. He wanted her to tell him that she’d be happy to be his partner again. He wanted her to tell him to go for it because she wanted to be with him.

“Just so you know.” Jaehyun paused. “This is not just about me being your partner.”

“I know,” she finally said. “You think I don’t?”

Then it was a switch, Nabi sighing.

“But I’m never going to be with someone who doesn’t know how to stand up for himself, Jaehyun. I don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve complicated relationships and I don’t deserve half-assed friendships. It’s just not the type of person I am,” she told him. “I give everyone my hundred percent and I expect the same thing in return.”

She patted his cheek.

“I like you; I really do. I don’t know what you went through, Jaehyun, but don’t project your insecurities onto people who don’t deserve it. It says a lot about your character.”

“Will it help if I’m going to be honest from now on?” Jaehyun asked back and she tilted her head at him. “I won’t settle for what we had before. I’ll go all the way.”

She did not trust him. He knew she didn’t and he couldn’t blame her. Jaehyun’s character wasn’t the most solid. 

“My thoughts?” Nabi squeezed his cheek between her fingers. “You don’t need a girlfriend. Not yet.”

He knew what that meant. It meant that she thought that he wasn’t emotionally ready for her yet. That dating was not going to do him any good just yet. That he had to prove himself to her that he was mature enough to handle a relationship.

Nabi was simple like that, Jaehyun thought once again in his head. 

But he disagreed. Jaehyun never wanted anyone as much as he wanted her. She brought out the best in him.

He didn’t say that when he noticed someone standing behind both of them, Jaehyun making out the high ponytail that belonged to Hwang Yena.

She looked pissed.

Rightfully so.

Jaehyun brought his gaze back to Nabi, the woman of his dreams and the only person he wanted to think about right after he met her when he leaned forward to experimentally press his lips against hers.

Just like that, a fire ignited between both of them, Nabi kissing him back almost automatically like she had missed him just the same.

Jaehyun did not know if what she felt for him was love but he knew at that moment that it was for him.

He pressed his forehead against hers, breathing heavily.

He had fallen in too far deep but this time, it was different.

Jung Jaehyun would take a stand.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hwang Yena was pissed. Her ponytail swung back and forth as she tried to think of a way of getting back at the man she thought she loved. The kiss she had witnessed made her blood boil, the female hissing under her breath as she took out the phone.

She texted Jaehyun.

Yena: you’re going to regret this

She frowned when she saw that the checkmarks did not appear. It was a circle, Yena’s jaw dropping when she realized that Jaehyun had blocked her. The ing audacity, she fumed. She narrowed her eyes at her surroundings when she smirked.

Jaehyun, Jaehyun, Jaehyun.

“Sorry,” a voice murmured, Yena feeling someone bump against her shoulder. The male seemed to have come from the cafeteria and he walked away, his attention on his phone.

“Hansol?” she asked, trying to sound as sweet as possible. Hansol turned around, the male looking weirded out by the sound of his name called by her. They met on their first day and they did not interact as much but Yena was going to make sure that changed. “Oh, hi!”

“Hi?” Hansol said back, turning away from her to go on his way when she jogged after him.

“You’re dating Nabi, aren’t you?” she asked, a sinister smirk traveling up her features. “I just saw her kissing Jung Jaehyun.”

“Cool,” he said back, not looking fazed at the information.

Hansol was not fooled by Hwang Yena’s tactics. Heck, he knew a manipulative when he saw one.

She looked taken aback by his lack of response, Yena grabbing his arm to stop him from walking. He gave her a questioning look.

“Don’t you want to get back at both of them?”

“I’m not dating Nabi,” he finally said, shaking her arm off.

“But you want to,” she pointed out.

“Yes, but I fail to understand where you come in,” he said to her, unable to stop himself from sounding too cold. Hansol knew how Nabi was—she never gave out false hope. She did not have an ill-intent in mind. She loved who she loved, friended who she cared about, and she simply lived her life by simple rules.

“I want Jung Jaehyun back,” she finally said and Hansol felt a surge of compassion for her just as her eyes flashed purple. Veeras, he thought. He knew she was a halfling and that Veeras were advisors of the Ais which was what Taeyong’s mother was.

Hansol had gone through too much in Russia and America to know the ability of halflings.

That, however, did not mean he could not milk information from her.

“And?”

“I think you and I—we can work together.”

“Ahuh.” Hansol tried to keep a straight face. “And what do have in mind?”

She smirked, stepping closer to him before she began to speak.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yahoo was not in our room when I arrived. I took off my jacket, a hand going to rub between my eyes. I could feel a migraine coming. After a long shower, I slid under the covers and was about to drift into slumber land when the door opened and Hansol walked in.

I blinked, Hansol jerking his head at me.

“What?” I asked, Hansol sighing. I sat up. It was weird that he simply entered the room without any permission. “What’s going on?”

“Heard you kissed Jung Jaehyun,” he said and I relaxed. He did not sound accusing nor did he sound salty about it. He shouldn’t. I was my own person and Hansol knew that. “Does that mean I don’t stand a chance?”

“Yes,” I answered and he chuckled. I dropped down to the ground and massaged my neck. “Are you here to ask me about that? It wasn’t exactly done in private.”

“Oh, Nabi,” Hansol said, taking a seat beside me. If he did not sound accusing before, he sounded sad now. “The things I would do to keep you with me.”

I turned to see him deep in thought.

“What does that mean?” I asked and he shrugged.

“Just a lot of regret,” he said softly, looking up and going to massage my shoulders for me. “Where does it hurt?”

I pointed at the knot on my shoulder and he massaged my shoulder for a while, both of us staying silent when I felt a weight on the back of my neck. Hansol had pressed his face against my neck and I knew that it bothered him.

“Hansol…”

“I know, Nabi. You’ve always been honest about what you feel. Doesn’t exactly make it easier for me, does it?” he asked and his words came out strangled. I felt bad for him but I knew it wasn’t my fault.

“I’m sorry.”

“Mhm,” Hansol murmured before he let go. I saw him rest his arms on his knees. “Yena told me she wants to take revenge on Jaehyun. She asked me if I was in with her.”

I processed the information, studying Hansol’s face.

“What did you say?”

“I said I was.” He smiled. “How could I not be when the girl I’m in love with is taken away from me?”

“Did you mean it?”

He shook his head without hesitation and I smiled at him.

“I may be selfish but I’ve learned to not bring anyone down just for my sake.”

“You’ve grown,” I complimented and he made a face at my words. “What is she thinking of doing?”

“She said she’d make Jaehyun regret what he did. God knows what that meant.”

“You did not ask her?”

“She told me to wait and see.”

I chewed on my lower lip. “Thank you for telling me, Hansol.”

“I love you, Nabi,” he blurted and I knew he meant it. “I know my words may not hold meaning I just want you to know that I do… in case you change your mind, you know?”

“I never change my mind, Hansol, you know that.” I wrapped a hand on his shoulders and squeezed him against me. We sat there, rocking each other back and forth. “I love you, too. You’re still my best friend.”

“I don’t want to be,” he mumbled. “But if it’s Jung Jaehyun for you then it is Jung Jaehyun for you.”

I didn’t say anything. I knew I was the source of his pain so I couldn’t do much to comfort him.

“I’m not going to make it easy for him,” he told me. “You deserve someone who is going to fight for you and I deserve to be given a losing chance.”

“You do you.”

I should not have said that for the following days to come would be filled with both Hansol and Jaehyun fighting over every chance to get me to pay attention to them. The first day following both confessions, I exited my room to see that both of them were waiting for me for my morning run.

“I don’t like that he thinks he can follow you around whenever he wants,” Jaehyun said to me, pulling me to the side.

“I don’t like that he thinks that he’s any different,” Hansol pointed out when I told him what Jaehyun said.

On some occasions, I would see Yena glaring at me and I knew that she was plotting something. We’d cross that bridge once we got there, I tried to tell myself but the settling feeling of dread was hard to ignore.

It became so bad that I began to hide from both Jaehyun and Hansol. I left earlier, creeping down the hallways to head to class. Jeno knew what was happening, the male finding humor in the situation.

“Noona?” he asked one day and I whipped my head around. “Nabi noona?”

“Uh… Jeno,” I whispered, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards me to hide behind me. “Are they around?”

“Who?”

“Hansol and Jaehyun,” I told him and Jeno frowned, looking over my shoulder and nodding. I squeaked, stepping away and positioning him so he shielded me. “They are? What are they doing? Are they heading over?”

I looked up to see that he was amused, the male shaking his head.

“They aren’t heading over?”

“They aren’t around. I was kidding.”

“Jeno!”

“Sorry, noona. But honestly, what’s wrong with you and the other two?”

“