Beautiful // Nomin

~14~

Renjun got off the taxi and stood in front of the apartment complex that Jaemin's address had led him to. Indeed it was a nice, clean-looking area, and Renjun was glad that Jaemin was able to move here now.

The main road was the most beautiful, with pretty trees on both sides, their flowers in full bloom. Some flowers fell on the cars as they drove underneath the little natural-made canopy, creating a painting-like scene. Renjun wondered how nice it would look in the fall, with all the colored leaves falling onto the roadway.

He walked across the road and onto the sidewalk, then entered through the gate after putting in the code Jaemin had texted him. He then headed to the right building and entered its elevator, and, finding Jaemin's apartment number, was about to knock when the door opened first, with Jaemin greeting Renjun excitedly. "Renjun!"

"Hi," Renjun answered with a warm smile as Jaemin let him in. "This is a nice apartment. How are you?"

"I'm pretty good," Jaemin answered. "By the way Jisung won't be here cause he went somewhere when I was biking." He rolled his eyes before taking Renjun to the kitchen. "Look, my drain actually works."

Something was cooking on the stove, and there was also an airfryer running. There were dishes on the counter, and Jaemin had been cutting vegetables when Renjun had arrived. Jaemin was really preparing a lot for a meal just for two people. Renjun tried to help but Jaemin was almost finished and asked Renjun to sit.

"Jaemin," he said gratefully. "You really didn't have to—"

"It's okayy, Renjun-ah," Jaemin interrupted. "I haven't had a personal guest in ages. This is so special."

He quickly wrapped things up and the two began eating. "Jaemin-ah, this is so good," Renjun said brightly. "Do you cook a lot? It tastes so professional."

"I cook for Jisung a lot," Jaemin beamed. "Do you like it? Eat some more."

The two ate and chatted a bit, Renjun commenting, "This apartment is really nice; like the view from the window, you can see that roadway with the trees on the sides. It will be really pretty in different seasons."

"I know right? It's amazing. Like why didn't I move here sooner. I think Jisung likes it too, he just hasn't said it yet. He's been sulky around me ever since I slapped his face some nights ago." Another eye roll. "He deserved it."

Renjun just nodded as he listened to what Jaemin had to say. The latter rambled on and on about any and every random thing except for his background. "Renjun-ah, I'm talking so much."

"It's okay."

"Is it bothering you? Like you can say something too."

"Ah no, it's fine. Your voice is really satisfying to listen to," Renjun stated truthfully.

"Ah really," Jaemin said happily. "I've ne—"

His sentence was cute off by the door suddenly opening, and a clumsy Jisung stumbling inside. "Jisungie," Jaemin said, standing up and going toward the door.

"Hm?" Jisung looked at Renjun with a surprise since he'd forgotten Jaemin had told him there was guest over. "Uh- um- hi," he mumbled and gave a half-wave to Renjun while trying to what seemed like maintain his balance.

"Hey," Renjun greeted, friendly.

Jaemin held Jisung's shoulder to stabilize him. "Are you hungry, Jisungie? We're eating."

Jisung shook his head "no" and tried to head to his room. "Are you drunk?" Jaemin whispered, to which Jisung shook "no" again. He was certainly acting unstable, but Jaemin didn't smell any alcoholic beverage on him.

He helped Jisung to the bedroom, where the younger lay down to rest on the air mattress. "Hyung, imma rest for a bit..." he mumbled, and Jaemin let him be and closed the door for him.

"He's a bit tired," Jaemin forced a smile at Renjun who just nodded.

The two went back to eating, and Jaemin picked up conversation once more.

----

"Jeno?"

Kiara, Jeno's girlfriend, was calling his name from outside his bathroom door. Apparently Jeno had forgotten (again) that she was coming over, and he'd gone to take a shower before dinner.

Jeno didn't reply right away, still processing why exactly she was in his house at the moment but quickly recovered and yelled, "Ah Kiara, sorry I forgot that—"

"It's okay," she giggled. Jeno's habit of forgetting things was cute in her opinion. "I just wanted to ask if you have the Saturday fundraiser poster somewhere around. I have to send in the email with the code before deadline."

"Uh...I have a screenshot of it on my phone," Jeno offered in a muffled voice since he was washing soap out of his hair.

"Where's your phone?"

"On my night table."

"Thanks~" Kiara went down the hallway to her boyfriend's bedroom. She reached for his phone and plopped on his bed while putting in the passcode. The two had the healthiest couple relationship you could think of. They knew each other's passwords, what was there to hide?

Kiara went to Jeno's photos to find the picture she needed. But of course, the first thing she saw was the photos that Jeno had taken earlier in the day, and she thought it wouldn't hurt to look at them. Since when did Jeno take pictures while cycling?

The second thing she noticed was the pink hair that stood out. There were two people, not just Jeno. Jaemin? He took Jaemin biking? Kiara knew that Jeno had started being friendly to Jaemin, but she didn't know exactly how close they were. He never filled her in on that stuff.

She admitted to herself, the photo outcomes were nice. Who'd taken the pictures for them? It was so un-Jeno-like to ask a stranger to take a picture for him.

Then her finger swiped to the last photo where—

Why were Jeno and Jaemin holding hands? She zoomed up on the picture. Sure enough, they were hand in hand, Jeno smiling and Jaemin leaning slightly in. They looked like a gay couple.

Kiara bit her lip in confusion as she went over the pictures again. Why did she feel like something was off? She felt bad for feeling that way. There had never been a flaw in her relationship with Jeno before.

She tried telling herself that she shouldn't be so paranoid about it. Jeno could have close friends, of course. But—

"Kiara? Did you get it?" Jeno's voice asked as the bathroom door in the hallway opened.

Kiara quickly scrolled up and found the desired screenshot in Jeno's photo album. She took out her own phone and started typing in the code. "Yeah," she said naturally, looking up at her boyfriend, wrapped in a towel, standing in the doorway.

"All right I need to change now," Jeno laughed and she gave him a small peck on the cheek on her way out of his room.

Exactly. Jeno wouldn't just offer her his phone like that if he'd been hiding something. For now, she had nothing to worry about.