Strawberry Pocky // Nomin

Ch. 4: Heartbreaker

[Jaemin POV]

"... So I thought this was an all-boys school...?" Jaemin sat with the bunch.

Yuta and Doyoung made calls to everyone, and in a good five minutes, the guys ran in at the news.

They were all tentative listeners. Some of them gave Jaemin hugs and pats on the back in comfort after hearing what happened while they were gone.

"Well," Yuta explained. "Those girls, and that Minah girl are actually the daughters of the professors and boardsmen. They're granted free acess to the school, and because thier parents are part of it, they get away with a lot."

"But they're also allowed to enter in student events and competitions." Doyoung added.

"Minah is the vice principal's daughter. Her group seems to dislike you, so we should steer clear of them." Taeil suggested.

"I'll do my best-- ah here hyung!" Jaemin waved as he saw a worried Jaehyun run towards him.

"Are you okay?" Jaehyun looked Jaemin up and down when he got to the table.

"I'm fine hyung," Jaemin laughed. "The others helped me out."

Jaemin looked at his new friends with a combination of relief and gratitude, "Thanks for saving him guys."

They all smiled at Jaehyun.
Then, they all stared at eachother in sync. The same thought flowing in thier minds.

"I'm Lee Taeyong," Taeyong stood up and walked over to Jaehyun with his hands in his pockets.

Jaemin observed at how different they looked. His brother was the type to dress simple and clean.

So, it was interesting when pink haired Taeyong, in ripped black plants and a brightly detailed graphic shirt, stood next to Jaehyun, in a fitted light blue dress shirt and prestine white dress pants, complemented by his neatly combed dark brown hair.

"Would you..." Taeyong looked at Jaehyun, and suddenly he seemed lost.

Jaehyun simply smiled.

"I'd love to," he shook Taeyong's hand with a tint of pink in his cheeks.

"18 princes it is!" Haechan smiled.

"Oh.. That's right..." Jaemin interrupted. "You all say there's 18 of us... But where is the other member...?--- Besides the one you all mentioned earlier."

"Ahh..." Taeil smiled. "You're talking about Jungwoo."

"Jeongwoo is the first member who started this group," Doyoung continued. "He's actually one of the top students. He doesn't come to school unless there's an exam or event."

"Though he does show up for group competitions if he's not in his wonderland," Yuta laughed.

"I haven't met him yet," Kun sipped his water.

"Jeongwoo? How come I ain't heard about him either guys?" Lucas questioned the rest, wide-eyed.

"Never asked," Johnny shrugged.

"By the way... Taeyong-hyung, how long are you guys gonna hold hands?" Haechan grinned.

"Oh!" Taeyong slipped his hands away from Jaehyun, clinging onto his hands just moments before like it was natural.

"OUUUUUUUUUUU" the group smirked in unison.

"L-lets eat," Jaehyun sat next to Jaemin and tried to hide his pink face.

Jaemin laughed. Him and Taeyong didn't look bad together.
------

"Hey Jaemin, there's a ten minute break before class. Wanna hit the vending machines?" Mark offered to walk Jaemin.

"You still owe me silly!" Haechan ruffled Mark's hair giggling.

"Yah! I'm your hyung!" Mark glared. But Haechan instead started playing with his hair, earning a few light slaps from Mark, whose face had flushed pink.

"*sniff sniff* I hate you!" a small echo caught Jaemin's attention from behind him.

He turned around and noticed that the halls behind were all pretty empty.

"Hey Jaemin, class is starting in a bit," Renjun walked over to him.

"I need to check something out first, real quick," Jaemin smiled at him. "I'll meet you all there. Floor 8, room 8-B right?"

"Okay, I'll see you later!" Renjun waved as the others filed down the hall the opposite way.

Something about that small echo churned Jaemin's stomach. The nervousness he felt before returned. He was curious. The girl's voice drew him in that direction.

Jaemin was beginning to feel lost walking down the hallway of lockers when he turned the corner to see a crying girl, standing beside the most attractive guy he had ever seen.

"I'm sorry," his voice was warm and sincere.

"Why...?" the girl cried harder and started banging her fists on his chest. "I like you..."

The boy looked at her in a bit of guilt, but he didn't move a muscle.

"There's no need to be sad, you'll find someone better," he tried to sound postitive while empathetic. "We can be friends though."

The girl removed her hands from him.
She let her tears fall as she ran down the hall and out of sight.

The boy sighed.

He was in black skinny jeans and a white top, paired with a red flannel shirt. Though he looked a bit troubled, he was beautiful.

The boy then noticed Jaemin.

Oh holy hobi the Sun!!!

Jaemin ducked behind the corner out of sight, only to be found by the gorgeous boy.

"Are you here to confess too...?" He looked more troubled by the minute.

"A-ah, n-no..." Jaemin slapped himself.

OH YAY.
THAT WAS SOOOO BELIEVEABLE NA JAEMIN. GO GET AN ACTING CAREER. 🙌🙌🙌

"Oh really?" The boy's troubled look suddenly melted into the most lethally attractive expression Jaemin could've imagined.

"That's a relief, I felt bad just now..." The boy's eyesmile lit up his whole face and his smile was pure like water.

"U-uh.. Yeah..." Jaemin gulped. "Uh.. Why did you turn her down...?"

"Well..." the boy thought for a moment. "Simply, I didn't like her the same way."

"A-ahhh......" Jaemin nodded awkwardly.

"Its the fifth one today," the boy sadly looked at him.

"The fifth one?!" Jaemin's eyes popped out.

The boy sadly nodded. "I turned down them all..."

"Well that's rough..." Jaemin was unsure how to comfort him.

"Shouldn't you be in class..?" The boy suddenly asked.

"A-ah yeah!" Jaemin realized the time. "G-gotta.. Go. Uh see ya...?"

"Bye!" the boy smiled.

Jaemin ran back down the hall.

"Na Jaemin, let's hang out sometime!" the boy's voice rang out behind him.

How does he know my name...?
Wait-- who is he?
------------------------------------------------------
(a/n: Hey guys! Guess who I finally found after five chapters...? 😉 )