we the cursed, nct dream ✔

part fifty-two

⇉ the one with a picnic.

part fifty-two

"Since when were you this..."

The blonde boy's breath comes fast as he rests his palms on his thighs. Her mouth twists as she leans against the track railing, looking absolutely perfect and breezy, having barely broken a sweat. Meanwhile, Jeno feels like his heart is actively trying to escape his chest.

Oh, how the tables have turned.

Juno smirks now. "I'm just phenomenal." Then she sees Renjun approaching them from the other end of the track, and her brows rise, surprised.

"Oh, no," he groans, unconvincingly, wincing at Jeno. "I must've missed our morning run."

"Actually, we were just about to start." Jeno straightens, a mischievous grin playing at the corner of his mouth. "You got here just in time."

Renjun's face is priceless.

Juno and Jeno immediately dissolve into fits of laughter, and Renjun is confused for a minute before he realizes that he's been pranked. He places his hands on his hips, trying to frown. "That wasn't even funny."

"It was," the other two say in unison, and then their synchronization sets them off again.

Renjun folds his arms across his chest. "Listen, I'm an artist. Not a track star."

"Juno wasn't, either." Jeno starts stretching again once he's gotten his chuckles under control. "But even I wasn't able to keep up with her just now."

"Oh?" Renjun turns to her, interest piqued.

"I'm not just faster," Juno replies smugly, and beside her, Jeno rolls his eyes good-naturedly. Renjun eyes the two of them. "I've got more stamina, too."

"Since when? Because of your newfound strength?"

Juno shrugs. "Who knows?"

Renjun regards her for a moment. "Where have you been lately, anyway? I feel like I haven't seen you in ages."

"You haven't," she agrees. "It's been crazy, with school and trying not to die and all."

"Well, I had an idea." Jeno grins at them. "How about a picnic? Outside the school, tomorrow, since it's a Saturday. I was thinking it'd be nice to hang out all together. Besides, it's a good excuse to explore this island through the tunnel Juno found."

Renjun shrugs. "I'm down."

Both their eyes shift to Juno, who appears to be thinking deeply about it. "That sounds nice, but how are we just going to disappear for a few hours?"

Jeno shrugs. "Just count on not getting caught, I guess."

A smirk makes its way onto her lips. "Careful, you're beginning to sound like me." Then she nods. "Let's do it. Tomorrow."

Soon, she's heading back in the direction to her dorm. She hadn't planned on running into anyone this morning; Jeno had been already there when she'd actually managed to drag herself out of bed to run for the first time in months. And, wanting to prove that it wasn't a big deal to see him there, she'd stayed.

Juno sighs. She really is over Jeno. Really. And her traitorous heart is slowly latching on to somebody else, but that's a whole other thing.

She's still stuck in her thoughts by the time she comes upon her door, absently pressing in the code before swinging it open. So she doesn't register the little paper that had been stuck in the door until it flutters downward.