Birds of a Feather | '00 Liners

Chapter Twenty

Photography was a class Jaemin indulged himself in. Whether abstract in their meaning or concrete images of splendor, Jaemin loved the art of photography. Loved the stories created in still images, the beauty of the ageless.

Hence why he submitted their beach photo as his summer project. The beauty within the natural, sun-tanned faces of joy and weariness. The vibrant colors of dusk highlighting their features with glamour. Jeno's sculpted figure was exposed and perfectly taut with expective tension. Donghyuck's half-laugh, half-giggle of impatience forever captured in time. Truly a scene worth that ninety-eight percent.

He digressed.

Photography, a class of comfort for Jaemin, was stressing him out. Because Donghyuck had migrated from his usual seat in the back and took residence atop Jaemin's in the front. Jaemin knew Donghyuck was only bold because their teacher had to leave to print out the rubric for their winter project, and he couldn't help but let his feelings of yearning leak out into a weak whimper.

"Listen," Donghyuck began, blissfully unaware of Jaemin's internal struggle. "I just...I want to apologize. For forcing you into an uncomfortable situation like that." He squirmed his way further onto the desk, his ass adjacent to Jaemin's chest. "I didn't take your feelings into account and put you in a hard place. And I understand if you don't accept my apology because what I did was kinda shitty. But..." His gaze lowered from where it had been wandering along the classroom's wall, meeting Jaemin's with sincerity. "...don't shut out Renjun and Jeno. Please.

"You can ignore me all you want," Donghyuck continued, hastily averting his gaze as a flush seeped into his ears. "I just don't want you isolating yourself because of me."

Jaemin blinked rapidly, mildly stunned. Because Donghyuck wasn't the type of person to naturally put others before himself. Because Donghyuck was trying to make amends. By himself.

Jaemin felt a smile spread across his face, and he took that moment of giddy joy to pinch Donghyuck's thigh. Donghyuck yelped and looked at him incredulously.

"You were wide open," Jaemin sing-sang.

Donghyuck laughed, flustered. "Okay, I guess I deserved that."

Jaemin leaned forward, hooking his chin over the meat of Donghyuck's thigh and staring up at him with wide, wide eyes. "I accept your apology, by the way," he said.

Donghyuck grinned, pleased. "Cool." His fingers thrummed along the desk's edge, antsy and expectant. "Wanna hang out with Renjun and me?" he eventually blurted.

Jaemin snorted at Donghyuck's uncharacteristically stilted approach but nodded into his thigh all the same. "Sure." He straightened his posture and gave a pointed glance toward the hallway windows. "Might wanna get back to your seat. Teacher's coming."

Donghyuck stumbled to his feet and gave Jaemin a parting pat on the shoulder as he rushed to his seat.

Try as he might, Jaemin couldn't bite the fond smile off his lips.