in my own summer | norenmin

chapter 26 | from one brother to another

jaemin curiously peers through clothing, pushing shirts apart to see a particular one that stood out to him. a nine inch nails shirt...jeno might like it.

on a sunday afternoon, of course he's set to the task of buying renjun and jeno lunch on renjun's orders, but jaemin can make the outing fun. he didn't get to ask if jeno wanted to come because he was sleeping in and was pretty much rivalling a rock.

so, jaemin decided visiting a clothing store would make it worth it other than food. he picks the shirt off of the rack to inspect it closer.

"nice shirt, eh?"

jaemin suddenly jumps around, meeting eyes with a close friend. recognising her, he relaxes. "minjeong, you can't just sneak up on people like that."

minjeong laughs. "that's what she tells me all the time too so i don't sneak up on rina, but everyone else is fair game," she smiles. "how have you been lately?"

"good," jaemin answers.

"jun and jeno?" minjeong continued with a tilt of her head.

"same for them," jaemin smiles softly just thinking of them. but also at the thought of renjun, he thinks of someone else. he hasn't spoken to him since that one day he told him not to come over to hang out, but that doesn't mean the others have. "have you spoken to felix recently? like, at all?"

minjeong shakes her head. "i'm never there if he's over. he probably said something like 'oh, i'm happy for you and karina still being together after two years' but that's it. probably jealous he and chenle barely lasted three months."

"oh."

"yeah, renjun's my bestie, i can't talk to someone who hurt him," minjeong admits. "i know he said it wasn't official and exclusive and stuff but he wanted it to be. plus, i felt a little off about him anyways sometimes."

she turns and shrugs.

"yeah... i stopped talking to him finally a long time ago," jaemin says. "if he kept making my boyfriend upset for a justified reason, i should've already dropped him."

minjeong nods. "yeah... is the group planning to hang out soon? i know this new game place opened up recently rina wants to go to."

"sounds fun, we could, just tell the chat," jaemin replies. "i'm bringing jeno."

"and i'm bringing rina, so," minjeong grins. "but yeah, i have to go. just thought i'd say hi since i saw you. see you around."

"you too," jaemin waves when she leaves before focusing back on the shirt. maybe he should buy it....

🎸

jeno finally let himself stick around at home for once. he needed the help of his parents, anyways, especially when it's a speech for his brother. there's so much he could say, and he wants to say, but what should he say? every attempt ends up jumbled in the trash or torn to shreds, like one of mark's cats had gotten a little too playful with it.

(mark still hasn't stopped sending pictures of them ever seen he managed to convince his parents to let them live with him and donghyuck once he got a job.)

curled up on the couch, he briefly looks down at the evil dead shirt he stole from yangyang years ago and still acts like he has no idea where it had ended up. he supposes yang's figured it out by now since he isn't entirely dense, but he hasn't spoken up. then, jeno presses the pencil eraser to his lips.

soft footsteps sound — a steaming mug is placed on top of a paper towel on the coffee table. jeno looks up to see his dad, doyoung, wearing that one sweater he loves so dearly. jeno still faintly remembers accidentally spelling juice all over it and sobbing when doyoung found out, knowing how much he loved it since his husband gifted it to him. but, his dad hadn't been angry then, just a little annoyed.

he appreciates the smile his youngest son sends him, and makes himself comfortable in a separate chair, with his own mug of hot cocoa.

"what're you up to?" his dad asks curiously.

"trying to write a speech for jungwoo's wedding," jeno explains. "i just don't know what to say."

"i assume it's just really for your brother, right?" doyoung asks. his son nods. "then, make it personal. that's what my best friend did for me. he was like a brother to me, and he said all these little things we did together and eventually it led to that day. i still have it on video, i was so touched — just, make it personal to the both of you."

he sips his warm drink and sighs contently.

jeno, out of curiosity, asks to see the video. doyoung was rather happy to show him, though it may have been more of an excuse for him to relive one of the best days of his life. jeno found it interest to see a younger pair of his parents — taeil stood out strikingly in all white. jeno almost finds it weird though to say his dad looked beautiful then.

the friend's speech was nice, though. he started from the very beginning from when he and doyoung first met, to when he first met taeil; something about taeil originally trying to set doyoung up with his friend only to realise doyoung had feelings for him already. taeil eventually joins them, standing behind doyoung's chair and letting his arm fall down over his husband, who happily holds onto his hand while playing with the bracelet on it.

"oh, didn't he mention that one time you ate mud?" taeil mutters with amusement. suddenly, his husband doesn't look so thrilled.

"don't remind me!"

taeil just laughs before slightly pulling away. "what do...je, are you staying long enough for dinner?"

jeno bites his bottom lip. he's always back at his boyfriends' place by now. but, he hasn't eaten dinner with his parents in forever. then, he lets himself smile and nod.

"yeah, i can."