Monopoly | Norenmin

cinderella

(a/n: forgive the romanised lyrics)

It was time to make something better. It was time to take Mark's advice. He had gotten a call that morning and if he didn't take the opportunity while he could, he'd never be okay with himself.

Taking a deep breath, Renjun boldly walked up to the boy sitting on the bench by himself. He stood in front of him with a patient smile, waiting for him to notice his presence. The male instead continued scrolling on his phone not paying attention to anyone around him.
After a few moments of silence and no acknowledgement though, Renjun got bored. Instead, taking the matter into his own hands, he bent down to the boy's eye level.

The boy looked up, his face falling slightly as he saw Renjun. It hurt, obviously, he had never been upset to see him in his life but now he was but a mere stranger.
Renjun sent the boy a smile, the male going to stand up and leave when Renjun held his shoulder. He sighed slightly to himself, "You can't just leave me."

The honey toned boy sighed at him, looking off to the side, "Jun, I need time to heal."
"No," Renjun shook his head, sitting down on the gross campus floor and leaning his chin on Donghyuck's lap. "Not if it means you leave me."
Donghyuck shook his head slightly, "You don't understand."
Renjun blinked up at him with a dead expression, "Damn, me? Not understand what it's like to have someone you really like not reciprocate your feelings?" Renjun clicked his tongue, dramatically looking to the side, "wow I could never." 

Donghyuck flicked Renjun's shoulder, chuckling slightly. "Jun-"
"Please?" Renjun whined slightly, hugging Donghyuck's legs, "Please, Hyuckie."
"Oh you're pulling the "Hyuckie" card, I see how it is."

Renjun sighed as Donghyuck refused to let him back in. He knew it was probably his fault for never acknowledging Donghyuck's feelings in that sense, but Donghyuck was still supposed to be his best friend. He was supposed to be there for him through the light and dark, he wasn't supposed to just turn the light off on him.
He didn't like functioning without him. He couldn't do it well even if he wanted to. Donghyuck was his best friend, and what was life without your other half. He found it, now was not the time to lose it.

Renjun's eyes went large as a very stupid idea clicked in his head. Slowly, he removed himself from Donghyuck's legs and started humming to himself.
Donghyuck looked up. "Injun, what are you doing?"
Renjun took a deep breath, swaying from side to side as he sung the stupid song. "Atarimae iko takaramono sa."
Donghyuck's expression dropped as he recognised it, "Injun-"
"Chikyuu wa mawari hi wa nobori," Renjun ignored the boy before him, instead walking around him, shimmying his shoulders slightly as he took each step.
The younger boy bit his lip, trying to get Renjun to stop by calling his name, but to no avail the boy kept singing.
"Kimi wa hohoemuuuuuuu," Renjun rolled across Donghyuck's back, letting himself sway on him.
Donghyuck clenched his fist, "Renjun, don't you fucking dare-"

Renjun jumped over the bench, landing beside Donghyuck. He pivoted on his heels as he sang. "Sunao ni I love you!" Renjun pointed straight at Donghyuck's chest, the boy finally cracking a smile. Renjun raised his hand above his head, wiggling his fingers as he moved his arm to his side, "todokeyou, kitto you love me!"
Donghyuck buried his face into his hands as he laughed at his friend, Renjun jumping up and down like a dumbass. "Renjun, stoppppp."
"Never- tsutawaru sa kimi ni niau garasu no," Renjun grandly curtseyed toward Donghyuck, "kutsu wo sagasuo."

The younger boy sighed, caving into the bullshit that was his best friend. "Do the triple turn."
"I can't even do one," Renjun stopped for a moment. Donghyuck looked up at him expectantly, Renjun heaving dramatically before positioning himself, "I'll try two then."
Donghyuck clicked his tongue in disappointment but nevertheless nodded, encouraging Renjun to essentially injure himself.

"Futari de step and go!" Renjun jumped, attempting to turn twice mid air, landing somewhat awkwardly and stumbling a bit as he did so. Donghyuck snorted loudly, cackling as Renjun regained his balance. "itsu made mo shinya juuni-ji wo-"

"Okay shut up," Donghyuck facepalmed, probably tired of Renjun's entire performance.
Renjun huffed, "I didn't even get to the best part."
"With your pronunciation, Yuta hyung might appear and throw you in the bin, Jun," Donghyuck said in a deadly serious voice. Renjun nodded, understanding completely. Yuta was a terrifying man no matter how nice he seemed. 

Renjun swallowed a little before looking up at Donghyuck and grinning at him. Donghyuck looked at him for a moment before breaking into a large smile, immediately engulfing the smaller boy into his arms. Renjun held on to him tightly, even more so than Donghyuck was, tearing up a bit. Three months was apparently his limit, the longest he could go without him. Any longer and Renjun probably would've broken down for the five hundredth time within the span of time Donghyuck had left him for, and he would've never recovered. The one time he actually didn't want to let go of him.

"I missed you, dumbass," Donghyuck mumbled.
Renjun sniffled, "well damn, who would've guessed."
"Shut up," Donghyuck sassed, his voice breaking a little, "You're the one crying."
Renjun snorted, burying his face into Donghyuck's shoulder, "You're the one hugging me."
"Then let go, huh," the younger boy scoffed, hugging him even tighter.
"You let go," Renjun inhaled a stuttered breath, unable to really stop the tears that fell.
Donghyuck huffed, nuzzling into Renjun's side, "stop fucking crying and then maybe."
Renjun huffed himself, gulping a little, "you think I want to cry anymore? I've lost so many flippin tears over this shit, I'm dehydrated. I feel like a fuckin prune."
Donghyuck snorted, keeping their embrace for just a little longer as the world moved around them. Renjun preferred this anyway. The world seemed to constantly carry on despite his desperate urge to stop it, for once it felt like time was in his hands. He could finally use time and space around him for his favours. To get back what he lost. To finally be found.

Donghyuck broke away first, holding on to Renjun's shoulders. Renjun laughed a little, noticing that Donghyuck was also crying, both of them trying to brush away their tears.
"Loser," Donghyuck scoffed, still smiling as he pushed Renjun's shoulder playfully.
Renjun rolled his eyes, a tear spilling out as he did so, "Piss off."
Donghyuck shook his head, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Sorry."
"Don't be," Renjun inhaled shakily, "just please don't do that again."
"Oh fuck no," Donghyuck chuckled, choking a little bit as they were still recovering. "I refuse to subject myself to that atrocious performance."
"Oh Donghyuckie found a dictionary, it seems," Renjun mocked, swaying his head from side to side in a teasing way.

Donghyuck rolled his eyes, taking a deep breath and smiling at him. He was happy to have Renjun in his life, the elder could see it finally. He loved having Donghyuck in his life no matter how much he dragged him to the pits of hell for existing. He loved that Donghyuck smiled at him. He loved that he was someone special to him. His other half. He had him back.