world outsiders, nct dream

chapter thirty

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
DRAW

❝YOU'RE A GENIUS, RENJUN.❞

━ RENJUN & JAEMIN FOCUS ━

After the weird "meeting" between three of the Neo House residents, each of them spread out for their own reasons.

They didn't speak to one another again unless it was time for meals. And by that, it meant Jaemin and Eunha hadn't spoken until meals. Renjun and Jaemin still conversed but the older boy still didn't find himself engaging in conversation with the newest girl.

Eunha hadn't minded him going back to his regular cold ways. Honestly, she felt like he had somehow grown colder since their previous talk. On other days he may glance in her direction but after their talk with Jaemin in the media room, it was as if he'd do anything to stay away from the girl and pretend he didn't know about her existence.

Still, she hadn't seemed to mind. Her heart sped up with fear every time he neared her, a very awkward tension between the two.

By the time dinner was over and it was time for bed, everyone was on their way to their rooms. Some of them leaving to change in the bathrooms while the others stayed in their room to change.

A sigh left Jaemin's lips as he walked over to his bed, setting his clothes in his hamper before tucking himself in. Renjun looked over at his friend, confused about the sudden release.

"Something wrong?" He asked Jaemin. The room was quiet for a second as Jaemin thought about what to say.

But once he figured it out, he sat up and leaned against the wall his bed was pushed against. "It's just.. why are you being so cold towards Eunha?"

Renjun's left eyebrow raised up as he put down his comb and walked over to his bed. "What? You have a crush on the new girl now?"

Jaemin shook his head, "no. It's just that you've never been like this before. Even with Minsoo and Hyeji, you at least acknowledge their presence but you can't even look at Eunha anymore. What happened earlier that made you mad at her?"

Renjun shrugged. "I'm just getting used to it all okay? It took me a while to adjust to you too, didn't it? It's just the same thing over again."

By the next morning, both boys had gotten up earlier than normal. It wasn't unusual at all for either of them. Their bodies naturally only got a few hours of sleep before they were awoken and it was like that for all of the teenagers.

Renjun had woken up first at half-past five. Bored, he had gotten out one of his sketch pads and a few art-utensils. From there he created a few pieces, working on a bird by the time Jaemin had awaken.

"What time is it?" The younger boy asking in a raspier voice compared to his usual one. He created fists with his hands and used them to rub his eyes.

Renjun glanced at his alarm clock. 6:29 AM

"Almost have past six," he informed Jaemin, receiving a groan of annoyance from waking up so early. "Gonna try to get back to sleep?"

Jaemin huffed as he laid flat on his bed, stretching each of his arms and legs to their full extent. He yawned once more before answering Renjun. "No, I can't. What time did you get up?"

Renjun shrugged, not remembering the precise time. "Around six, I think." He continued drawing while Jaemin sat up in his bed, trying to see what he was drawing but ultimately failing.

"What's that?" He asked. Renjun pulled away from the canvas and held it up for Jaemin to see. "A bird? Why a bird?"

Jaemin had shared a room with Renjun since he was brought to Neo House. He had known the hot-headed friend of his very well by now and knew that he usually only drew stuff that was interesting to him.

Sometimes Renjun would draw scenery, probably representing his desire to get out and go back to a normal house. He had drawn cartoon characters before, some that he had enjoyed since being a kid and looked at with comfort.

Once he even drew a normal backyard with fencing, although Jaemin didn't really know what that was supposed to represent. He now speculated it had something to do with the information they found out the prior day.

Renjun pondered over Jaemin's question. He didn't know why he was drawing a bird. He just was. He pushed the painting back a bit and stared at it until his brain began supplying him with more options.

"Jaemin, I think I know what Donghyuck is." Jaemin's eyes widened a bit hearing Renjun's words and scurried across the cold ground to his bed, taking a seat right next to him to analyze the drawing.

It takes him a bit longer than Renjun to figure out what it was but when he did, he smiled and turned to the boy. "You're a genius, Renjun."