Beautiful // Nomin

~2~

Jaemin walked hurriedly to the bus stop. If he got to school early, maybe he still had some time to study for the exam at his desk before class.

The bus came and Jaemin got on; he sat in a seat in the back. Adjusting his turtleneck, Jaemin then took out his earbuds and listened to music. It always made him feel calmer when he was just slightly upset, like this morning, he would admit that he was kind of fed up with Jisung. Jaemin would never know if Jisung actually showed up at school anyways, because they didn't cross paths.

The bus halted at a different stop and some more students got on; Jaemin in the pink-hair always caught classmates' attention and disgust. They kept their distance from Jaemin because they knew he was dirty. They just assumed he was a playboy who liked sleeping around, observing the marks on his neck and often swollen lips. No one knew Jaemin's true heart, intentions, and helpless situation.

Upon arriving at school, Jaemin did have more time to study and then exams rolled around. He thought he did pretty well so he was happy despite the morning Jisung. At lunch, Jaemin stole away to the stairwell where he usually ate alone, sitting in the corner. Sometimes he didn't eat, and then he would stay in the library. In the afternoon, PE rolled around and Jaemin tried his best. But it's hard when you don't have strength from eating and you just got over from being sick.

"NA!" The coach was barking his name again, telling him to run with his head up and take big strides. The sun was too bright and Jaemin's legs felt weak like jello. He ran another lap and neared the coach.

"Coach...I can't-" Jaemin gasped and tried to explain. The Coach let him sit down but was obviously angry. Jaemin sat and tried to catch his breath, having forgotten his water in the locker.

"Of course you can't," the Coach spit, "using your legs for other things besides something practical. You gotta keep yourself to yourself, kid. There's things called diseases, you know." He snorted and turned his back on Jaemin.

Jaemin wished he could cover his neck during PE but how. Their PE uniform  wouldn't cooperate and this wasn't the first time Coach snarkily commented on Jaemin's obvious sexual activity.

The pink-haired boy was one of the first to head to the showers, he couldn't bear the sun anymore. He took the shower stall next to the back wall and closed the curtain, took off his clothes and hung his bag and clothes on the outside rack. Then he turned on the water and let it run down his back. Refreshing.

Jaemin tipped his head back, closed his eyes and thought of Jisung. Where was he right now? Was he still at home playing video games? Had he gone to plaza to street dance? Was he-

SWISH

The curtain had suddenly been opened and Jaemin turned his head, opened his eyes and stared at the person in front of him, who just stared back with wide eyes and an open mouth. Oops.

Jaemin made no effort to conceal himself, he only took his dainty time in examining the face of the boy in front of him. Beautiful eyes, beautiful mole, cute yet handsome face-

His eyes traveled and stared at the boy's lips. So beautiful.

The boy in front of Jaemin finally snapped out of the trance, shy because of the intense gaze Jaemin was giving. "S-sorry," he apologised in a low voice, his face changed from shock to an embarrassed smile, his (.◜◡◝) coming out and-

-and Jaemin fell hard.

Who is that boy?

Lee Jeno hurriedly walked away, out of the showers area, into a bathroom stall. What had he just witnessed?

That pink-haired boy that he'd heard about around school so much, known as that fuck boy, so dirty that even those perverted classmates who made the worse jokes and did the worse things, kept their good distance from him.

His mind replayed the way the boy's eyes slowly traveled down toward his lips, that seductive, intent gaze. Had Jeno experienced Jaemin's danger first hand?! So no wonder, the rumor of that boy was real. Jeno felt sorry for encountering him.

But even though the seductive gaze was intent, it was still soft, loving...? It was the same gaze that Jaemin observed his little dongsaeng sleeping, loving Jisung with all his heart and life.

No. There couldn't be anything loving in that look. Jeno was pretty sure it was only lust. And so, that was the way Jaemin was viewed with prejudice. Jeno couldn't possibly think Jaemin was anything more than a body of lust.

Jeno stayed in the bathroom stall for a good fifteen minutes before coming out. Hopefully the pink-haired boy would be gone. But a quick inspection of the rack on the wall confirmed that he was indeed still showering in the last stall. Jeno looked for an open curtain and quickly slipped in before Jaemin could get out of his stall and spot him.

The relief that washed Jeno over when he was safe in the shower stall. He turned on the water and showered like normal, thinking over some things that had happened the past week.

Lee Jeno was from a more pristine family, parents with good jobs and good acquaintances. Jeno himself was a good boy, well-liked and respectful. He even had a girlfriend who was also of a good reputation, so basically, Jeno was the opposite of Jaemin.

However, this past week Jeno's father's car had apparently been vandalised by a group of rowdy teenagers up to no good. The insults spray painted onto the vehicle had been crudely vulgar, ugly dents, and flat tires of the shiny BMW. It was a new car, too.

Jeno sometimes wondered how those kids, who were the same age as him, could get themselves in so much trouble. Didn't they have parents who taught them well? Didn't they have instinct and inner knowledge that respect and peace is important, that wrong should be acknowledged as wrong and the same for right?

The sad reality was that no, they didn't have these things. Jeno couldn't comprehend it. His life had been well-provided, and he was on his way to being successful as well. A whole life plan filled with success and happiness had already been laid out for him.

As Jeno was in his thoughts, chaos had started brewing in the locker room. Jeno only noticed when a loud voice shouted, "SHUT THE FUCK UP NASTY BITCH-"

Jeno froze even though he wasn't in the situation, and a sudden noisy uproar broke out, Jeno didn't want to be in it so he wished to leave the locker rooms quickly but didn't want to get caught while coming out of the shower stall.

Suddenly the voices died down and all of was silent, Jeno heard a low voice say one sentence and as quickly as the lockers had been quiet, they were again filled with angry shouts. What was up with his classmates?!

He hesitantly peaked out the shower curtain and saw that pink-haired boy briskly walking away with his bag, head held high, and a few guys walking after him while slamming insults. They eventually disbanded and went to do their own things, as the door slammed and Jaemin was out of the locker room.

Jeno soon came out after washing up and was about to leave the place as well, he was one of the last people there, when he noticed something on the ground. He picked it up and saw that it was a gold heart with a little pink diamond on it. Curiosity held onto Jeno and he opened the locket charm to see what was inside- oh my goodness.

It just had to be Jaemin's, as inside was a picture of Jaemin and another boy with an impish smile. Jeno wished he hadn't picked it up, because now he felt the need to return it, as it seemed to be of value.

Jeno didn't know where Jaemin's locker was, and even if he did, the locket was too big to slip into the door. Jeno also didn't know where Jaemin sat in the classrooms or what his class periods were, so he couldn't leave it on a desk.

Jeno sighed as he tried to push down his introvert and shoved the gold heart into his pocket. One more encounter with Jaemin wouldn't be the end of the world.