Shall We? | NCT Lee Jeno ff

Chapter 43 - Jeno

 "H-how?" Jeno was feeling betrayed, confused, happy, and sad. Seeing Hyunshik standing there with that small smile he always saw in high school. No wonder he liked Hyun Nam's smile so much, it reminded him of his best friend.

"Hyunshik? That's my half-brother Ilsung, Jeno. I think you have the wrong person," Hyun Nam said to him in confusion, stepping beside Jeno to pat his shoulder, but Jeno stood frozen until Jaemin came in the lobby.

"Oh hi Hyun Nam's handsome brother!" Jaemin said, his feet allowing him to stumble around the lobby a bit but immediately tried to stand up straighter when he remembered what his manager said in the car.

"This is Hyunshik, Jaemin." Jeno turned slowly to Jaemin, still having disbelief all over his face. Jaemin clapped his hands and shouted an 'Aha!' while pointing at Hyunshik.

"That's why you were familiar. I saw you in Jeno's old pictures!" Jaemin said and walked over to Hyunshik to give him a big bear hug which Hyunshik responded with a confused look but hugging Jaemin back when he realized that he was drunk.

"He's supposed to be dead, Jaemin," Jeno said which led to Jaemin retreating and letting out an 'Oh'while staggering backward to Jeno's side.

"I just remembered, he's the dead best friend," Jaemin tried to whisper in Jeno's ear but almost everybody heard him. Breaking the intervention they were having, Jaemin and Jeno's manager begged them to talk somewhere else or the paparazzi will catch them and twist the events happening to create an entertaining article. The group decided to leave for the elevator. Jeno walked behind everyone, he never let Hyunshik (or Ilsung, he didn't know who he really was) out of his sight. Hyun Nam's worried eyes traveled to Jeno, she didn't know what was going on so she couldn't do anything to help Jeno calm down.

A part of her was annoyed that she didn't know about this issue, she felt incapable of not being able to help Jeno. But she didn't expect to know every single thing about Jeno's life, she would've expected Ilsung to talk about this to her instead of Jeno. As they reached their floor, everyone entered Ilsung's room, even Eunkyung and Jihyeon who were kind of interested.

"So. Do you want me to tell you what happened?" Hyunshik started as he took a sip from a glass of water, sitting down on the couch. Jeno was still standing in the entrance hallway, in shock of Hyunshik's presence. He didn't know what he wanted to do to Hyunshik. Jeno wanted to hug Hyunshik but he also wanted to punch him for not contacting him at all, leaving him to still mourn over his best friend years after.

"Sit down, Jeno. It's okay," Hyunshik said, everybody sat down straighter when those words came out of his mouth. Hyun Nam held Jeno's hand and dragged him to the couch Jaemin was also sitting on, opposite of Hyunshik.

"I don't know why my little sister is holding you like that, I'll talk about that to you later but for now. I want to tell the story of what happened," Hyunshik's eyes narrowed at the hand resting on Jeno's arm.

"Just tell us what's happening, Ilsung or Hyunshik, I don't know," Hyun Nam said.

"For those of you who don't know the complete story. I'll tell it from the very beginning: Jeno and I have been friends since middle school. He was a new student that came during seventh grade. Jeno was silent and shy, I never knew he was a part of SM when he had that personality. He was my seatmate and the only person who didn't know of my mother's background. You see, she used to be a hooker when she was younger, and I get bullied because of that. Though he didn't have much to say, he always understood me and I understood him too. We were friends all the way 'till the second year of high school, the year 2016 when he was going to debut. Jeno never knew that I was a child born out of wedlock, he only knew that my father passed away before I was born.

One night (I'm sorry to mention this in front of everyone, Jeno), he was going around spray painting people's walls. I knew this was going on for a while so I needed to put a stop to it because he was going to debut soon or he would be in trouble right when he became an idol. I followed him. Confronted him. We decided to go home after a chase. And when I was just about to throw away the cans, a car hit me. It was an empty road so I didn't look left or right, the car's lights weren't even on. The only thing I remembered last night was seeing my own pool of blood and Jeno on the ground. I saw a man coming out of the car before I closed my eyes. I thought I was going to die, I thought I was seeing the light already. But no, I was seeing a hospital light.

When I woke up, I was in a closed room. No windows, only a door, and the ceiling light. I could hear the monitors beeping behind me, and as I look to my side, I could see a man sitting down on a chair. 'Hi, I'm Mr. Jungho,' he had said. I shook his hand. He explained that my father sent him to kill me, but he said he had been watching me grow up and couldn't bear seeing me die. He took me to a private clinic where they were able to do surgery with supplies sent from another hospital. They saved my life, thankfully. I was in the hospital for a few weeks before I was ready to be sent back home. But Mr. Jungho said to leave the country. He gave me some documents and a plane ticket, he had already prepared everything in Shanghai. The only catch was that I couldn't communicate with my mother and tell her that I'm alive because a team of spies is always watching her 24/7. I couldn't communicate with anyone from my past life either. So I agreed, another chance in life was all I needed. Mr. Jungho changed my name to Ilsung and everything, I never show my face in any business magazines or interviews, scared Father will recognize me. I was a totally different person and I built a life in Shanghai.

Every day, I would see you on the news, Jeno. Dancing and singing with a smile on my face, gave me comfort that my best friend was moving on from me. But I wanted to meet you, my mother, my brother. I missed everyone. When I heard that your mother passed away, Hyun Nam, Mr. Jungho gave me the green light to call you. Mr. Jungho would tell me stories of your lives, I loved you three already before I even got to meet you. And now we're here in this hotel room," Hyunshik finally finished his story, leaving the three sisters in shock. Ilsung never told them what actually happened when their father tried to kill him.

After giving a second look to his sisters, he moved his eyes to Jeno who was sitting still. His face was emotionless. Hyunshik was now worried that Jeno would burst out into anger, but before he could say sorry, his best friend stood up and hugged him tightly.

"I'm so fucking mad but I missed you. So much. You know?" Jeno whispered into Hyunshik's ear, a small smile grew on Hyunshik's face as he returned the embrace with his arms around Jeno.

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