Bloodline ✦ Nomin

35

⊱ ─── { Jeno } ─── ⊰

Jeno refused to speak to Yeeun the rest of the night. He tried his best to appear relatively normal in her mother and Jaemin's presence, but when no one else was looking, glowers are exchanged between the siblings. This continues on into the morning, and it becomes so unbearable that Jeno decides he'd rather wander outside for a while than to suffer through the tension and hostile atmosphere created between them.

So when noon comes around and Jeno decides to finally return to the cottage, it catches him off guard to find Yeeun waiting for him on the porch.

"About time you came back," she grumbles.

"The fuck do you want?" he snaps as he pushes his hair back with his fingers.

"My mom took Jaemin to town for a bit. I planned to go join them," she remarks with a roll of her eyes.

"Then do it. Why do you have to check in with me? Just go," he mutters coldly.

"I wasn't checking in with you. I stayed to tell you we'll be gone until after dark," she retorts as she passes him, making sure to jar her shoulder into him as hard as she can, "And by the way, you have a visitor."

Jeno's brows knit together at this perplexing statement. No one should know where they are, and the only person who has any business checking in on him is Xiao. But it can't be him...can it?

Refusing to ask and prolong the time he wastes talking to Yeeun, he lets her go on her way and opens the door to the cottage. He enters inside and spots the back of a familiar looking head with dirty blond hair sitting on the couch. He shuts the door, and the head turns ever so slightly.

"Oh good, you're here," an all too familiar, deep voice hums out as the man stands up, revealing his tall height. Jeno's stomach does a somersault at the sight, holding back the urge to grin from ear to ear.

"Jisung?" he practically exclaims the second his old friend turns to face him. Though something in the back of his mind is gnawing at him about this visit not being good, he can't help the warm, comforting feeling that fills him to finally see Jisung again.

"Hello, Jeno," he responds as one corner of his mouth pulls upward into a half-smile and he clasps his hands together in front of him. Jeno's eyes glimmer with excitement despite being wide and practically bulging out of his head from the shock of Jisung being there.

How did he get here? Why was he here? All questions Jeno hoped the man would answer soon enough.

"What are you doing here?" Jeno starts.

"Well, I was actually in the middle of talking to Chenle about officially setting up your old house as our home base since it's the place we tend to work from anyhow," Jisung lets out an exaggerated sigh, "We were unfortunately interrupted by Jaemin and a very nice girl with long black hair."

"Yeeun," Jeno says in a near grumble.

"That's the one," he confirms with the slight raise and fall of his brows, "Yeah, so...they asked me to come back here with them, and uh...she filled me in on the situation going on."

"What situation?" Jeno feigns ignorance.

"C'mon, Jeno. You know what I'm talking about," Jisung remarks in a gentle yet knowing manner.

Jeno rolls his eyes. Of course Yeeun ratted him out to Jisung. What else was she gonna do when she knew he was refusing to listen to her? Jaemin must've somehow mentioned to her about how Jisung tends to be his voice of reason. Now she's using that information against him.