Intricate: The Beginning of Us| MARKNOMINHYUCK(bxbxbxb)

11: Friday night

Donghyuck

The doorbell rang through the house and I just wanted to roll my eyes at the signal. I hear my mom call out my name and I sigh in exasperation. I slowly walk down the stairs, taking my time to reluctantly get there.

"Good to see you, Mister and Misses Lee," I bow down to greet them, a small smile on my face.

I ignore the boy my age who was behind them as they return the greeting with a smile. After my parents were done greeting the family of three and having a small conversation we head to the kitchen as usual.

We take our usual seats, my parents, next to each other on one side while the other adults in front of them. I sat next to my mom and in front of me was Jeno.

I dread this day more each week.

Every Friday night, the Lee's either come over for dinner or we go over to theirs. We're three and three though Jeno's brother Taeyong used to come along before he moved in order to complete his studies.

Our parents have known each other for as long as I can remember. They aren't just business partners but they are also actual friends. They trust each other and the other two adults are probably the only ones on the trusted list for my parents.

The first memory of them must have been from when I was 3, Jeno was 3 too, while Taeyong-Hyung was 8. From that early age, our parents pushed us to be close by having playdates more than twice a week. Though Hyung is older, we seemed to get along great while with Jeno... quite the opposite. We always wanted what the other had or wanted, from a toy dinosaur to the attention. There was just never anything that drove us to actually get along as we pretended in front of the adults.

In front of them, we're best friends but once they send us elsewhere so that they have the privacy to have their own conversations, we simply ignore each other. We sit in completely different corners and don't take a single glance at the other for the rest of the night until we have to put on fake smiles and wave goodbyes.

I find it odd that we didn't say hello today and simply ignored each other today but it surprised me even more how our parents didn't question our lack of communication. Anyway, I don't mind it, it benefits me.

"Kids, you guys should go to the theater room and watch a movie or maybe head to Donghyuck's room to have a chat?" My mom says with that familiar smile of hers.

Without protest, we both stand up faking a smile and bowing to them before we head to my room. I open the door to step in and leave it open for him to do the same. Soon enough, I hear the door being shut closed as I freely lay on my bed, taking my phone out, and entering any social media platform to distract myself with.

Jeno did the same thing he does every time, taking a seat on the same spot on the same couch after taking a book from one of my bookshelves. Of course, he took it without much thought and much less with my permission but I didn't really care.

I smile as I go through Instagram, coming across a post by Jaemin that was a simple picture of him. I like it, let my eyes linger on the picture for a couple of more seconds before moving on.

After some time, the process of scrolling and liking became too boring for me so I look up to the other person in the room. His eyes weren't on the opened book in his hands but rather they were staring ahead blankly. I look at him for some time, thinking that he might catch me and he would say something rude about it but nothing happened.

"Hey, Lee Jeno, wanna make out?" I ask, propping myself with my elbows on the mattress

"I'm straight," he answers after turning to face me with a blank expression.

"Geez, just trying to lighten the mood, you're crankier than usual," I roll my eyes before turning them back to my phone.

I scroll again, continuing the cycle as I turn so that my stomach was facing the bed when I come across a video that catches my attention. I furrow my eyebrows and turn to look at the other male who was now on his phone before I focus back on the video. I wear my AirPods which were next to me before playing it.

"Leave me the fuck alone!" Jeno screams in exasperation, his face red in anger, his fists balled on his sides.

"Ugh! Come on, Lee Jeno! You will not dump me without a reason!" A female I recognize as Shin Yoon-hi screamed and I grimace at the high pitch of her voice.

I had forgotten that those two are dating--were dating.

"I can and I will!"

"This is fucking stupid!"

"You think breaking up with someone because of cheating is stupid? Multiple times, may I remind you! Especially with someone like you? Don't get me wrong, I liked you but I will never stoop low for anyone," he says full of anger before he storms off.

I look back at the boy, so that's why he's in such a bad mood. He actually liked her. I shiver at that, I have no idea how anyone would like a person like Shin Yoon-hi. Even without knowing her personally, I can tell that she's just a bitch and a brat.

I think for a while before I groan internally. I don't think it's a good idea to leave someone alone to suffer through heartbreak. With that, I stand up from my bed. I take two drinks from the mini-fridge in my room before walking over to the boy. I extend my hand with a bottle of orange juice on my hand while I kept a can of Pepsi for myself. I wait before he finally looks up, raising an eyebrow as he looks at me.

"Just take it," I groan, already starting to regret my good deed.

He points at the Pepsi. I roll my eyes at that before extending the other hand, settling for the juice as I plop myself onto the couch, sitting right next to him. He makes a grimacing expression, eyeing me up and down as he scoots over and I laugh mockingly at that.

"I remember you hating fizzy drinks," I say before taking a sip of my juice.

"And I remember you being less talkative towards me," he retorts.

I roll my eyes, "I remember how much of an asshole you were, wait, you are," I state with an overly sweet smile.

"I remember not asking for your opinion on my personality."

"I remember you being attached to a plushie you named Mr. PP."

"I remember you having a crush on my brother."

"Oh, come on, objectively speaking, your brother is hot," I say before taking another sip of my drink while he rolls his eyes. "Especially after turning 18," I sigh dramatically, pointing my head up as if I was daydreaming.

"Gosh, you're disgusting for talking to me about my brother that way."

We stay silent for a moment after. I take a glance at him just as he was taking a sip of the soda. "You can talk to me if you want, we've known each other for so long," I tell him.

He stares at me blankly, right in the eyes for some time before looking ahead. And those were the last words we said tonight.