90's LOVE | renhyuck ✔

.10

Renjun woke up the next morning with a light breeze fanning his face. Like a caress, Renjun responded to it slowly, letting it gently rock him into consciousness like the loving touch of his mother when Renjun wasn't a prosecuted outcast.

His window was open again. Perhaps Chenle had forgotten to close it on his way out, climbing back to his room like a monkey hopping through branches in the wild. Chenle was insufferable.

Petulantly, Renjun closed the window before getting ready for school. When he closed, however, it was as though a switch had flicked inside his mind: Friday had come once again, the bane to his existence. Usually, Renjun's Fridays were categorized as 'blank days,' for the simple reason that he wouldn't have a moment's peace until the clock struck 12. Only then could he be sure Yeji wouldn't emerge from the ground and swipe him from his desk chair, dragging Renjun by the ankles all the way to her party, shredding the skin of his face along the road, leaving a bloody trail like breadcrumbs.

Today, Renjun realized, I am free. Free from the party, at least. Although this newfound freedom only resulted in him wanting to go to the party. What did I do? He'd ask, hammering his fist on Yeji's kitchen counter, What did I do to make you finally leave me alone? He wanted to know, badly so.

That was the thought churning inside his head as Renjun rode his bike to school, responsible for every wrong turn and every time Renjun almost ran a red light. The thought overflowed Renjun's mind and dripped across his face in the form of sweat, and, when his bike's tire bumped into school grounds, Renjun had already forgotten what awaited him inside those gates.

And so Renjun walked inside, tense as an unruly child about to have its ear pulled. No matter how careful, his steps were loud, denouncing, and as he tried to inconspicuously make his way to class, people still glanced at him. Most importantly, Jisu, who by demonic timing appeared by his side, took him by the hand, and led him down a corridor — seemingly to his imminent demise. Should he start to pray? Atone for all his sins? To God or to Jisu? In his mind or on his knees? Renjun could've been covering so many topics, going back through his notes, checking if his answers were right. The exam was on Monday, for God's sake! But instead, Renjun was being pulled by the arm, Jisu's fingernails denting his wrist, struggling to keep his backpack from slipping off his shoulders.

With the dexterity of a leaping tiger, Jisu lunged at the door. Renjun thought that she might come face to face with the hardwood door and he'd have to nurse a broken nose. Perhaps even find himself guilty of harming her. But the door fell open, barely sustained by its hinges. Jisu let him go.

Renjun's hand flew to his wrist, inspecting for any blood. She'd clawed so hard he believed some skin had been torn. But all but crescent moon marks wounded his skin.

"Take a seat, please," Chenle said. Renjun whipped his head to see Chenle standing on a pedestal. Several students surrounded him, quietly sitting on wobbly, vandalized desks.

Without uttering a word in fear of setting off whatever oddity was about to happen, Renjun made his way toward an available desk, and hoped it only looked like it'd fall apart under him. Consequently, he sat next to Yeji. She didn't say anything.

"We have to fight." Chenle made a fist. "And fight to fight. How many adults are in here? None. They dismiss us — dismiss us! — when we're crying for help."

The desk had a plethora of cheats, tiny texts about Medieval History mixed with jumbled Physics formulas that weren't even correct.

"I, for once, have spent countless nights studying." Chenle's forte didn't reside in public speeches. "Magazine after magazine, they say the same thing. We think another."

Biological Anatomy, scientific names of animals. Two initials carved inside a heart. Someone had written, Metal, which someone had crossed over and written Pop instead. On the other side, someone had sketched a dick.

"But I— We, as people, need to stop," Chenle kept on. "Stop them."

In angry handwriting, I hate it here was carved at the top of the desk, summarizing Renjun's thoughts. He lifted his head, and found Donghyuck's eyes on him.

He winked, and Renjun, like magic, felt too hot in the face. By his side, Yeji giggled. "He's so playful," she told Ryujin. Ryujin didn't seem to have listened to her. Instead, she had unblinking eyes pointed to Chenle. Renjun intertwined his fingers and tried to pay attention to what Chenle had to say.

"And so, yeah, I guess we could say that I'm organizing some sort of..." Chenle trailed off. Someone in the audience yawned. "Organization."

A desk chair scratched over the floor: a student standing to leave. Another followed, followed by another, and another. The audience was steering away, one by one. Chenle's face didn't hide any of his feelings. His eyes welled, but only a single tear escaped. Renjun's body automatically tried to reach for him, but Jisu was right there, watching, judging, and yawning, so Renjun had to slump back and wait until he could comfort his cousin.

When the last person had left, Chenle, as if on cue, ran towards Renjun. The pedestal, which Renjun now realized was just a wooden basket facing down, tilted and tumbled forward like a strayed tire. Now, with a lapful of Chenle's snot and tears, Renjun heard the school bell but could do nothing about it. He'd be lying if, among the shhhhh and constant head-patting, Renjun wasn't thinking about taking Chenle to the school's underpaid psychologist and hurrying to class.

When Renjun was finally freed from Chenle's sulky, crying presence, watching Chenle bust out the door in a dramatic frenzy to wash the tears off his face, Renjun was startled to find Donghyuck waiting by the door. He said nothing, and Renjun realized that, in their past interactions, Donghyuck had been the one to lead the conversation, the one that'd approach first. It was Renjun's turn now.

"Hi. How's your day?" Heavy-tongued, Renjun stumbled along the words as though presenting an important oral presentation unprepared. "Have you been here too long? That was my cousin. If anything happens to him, I'm the one to pick out the cracks. I'm like his third parent, in a way."

Donghyuck was a patient person. As Renjun staggered over meaningless explanations and awkward phrasing, Donghyuck just listened.

When Renjun was done, gulping for air, face burning, Donghyuck said: "Is that all you have to say to me?"

Renjun lowered his head. "Will you go to the party with me?"