Mid Summer

twenty five,

"Jeno!"

Jeno knew that voice, even if he doesn't talk to him that much. He knows that voice, and it normally sounds like honey, but right now, it sounds like venom and Jeno was purely terrified.

But Mark was feeling the same way.

"Lee Jeno!" He calls again, light frustration bubbling low in his stomach as Jeno continues to ignore him.

Finally, after quickening his pace and grabbing the back of Jeno's shirt, Mark turns the younger around until he's staring at his wide eyes.

"I can explain!" Jeno immediately blurts out, tongue twisting itself in his mouth as he tries to find the right words. "I really like your boyfriend!" Except those weren't the words he was looking for.

Mark doesn't say anything for a few seconds, which only makes Jeno more sacred and nervous.

To be honest, he knows Mark is a soft guy, has been for the duration that Jeno has known him. But when it comes to intimacy and people and things he holds close to his heart, Jeno doesn't know how soft Mark could be.

But then Mark is laughing, and it's a laugh Jeno has the luxury of seeing for the first time.

Or maybe it's a bad thing.

Because Mark's laugh is loud and his eyes are almost invisible and his nose is totally scrunched while his mouth is wide open. To any other person, Mark would have an ugly laugh.

But Jeno thinks it's pretty. And that scares him a bit, but he'll shove it into the back of his mind for now.

"I like your boyfriend too," the elder finally says, after he's done laughing.

Jeno doesn't know what to say to that, he expected Mark to like Jaemin, especially after kissing him. And he's been over this with Jaemin, he could go and date Mark if he wanted, because Jeno just wanted everyone to get along and get what they wanted.

"Good," is what he says, not really thinking about it. He only runs the words through his head after they leave his mouth, and there's a light pink hue which crawls onto his cheeks before he stutters out his next sentence. "B-Because my boyfriend likes y-you too."

Mark smiles fondly at Jeno, and ignores how weird they must look just standing there, in the middle of campus.

"Donghyuck really likes you," he says quietly, reaching out hesitantly and brushing Jeno's bangs out of his eyes. "Don't hurt him. Because... Because before anything, Donghyuck is still my boyfriend. Until, you grow balls that is," he continues.

Jeno realizes that Mark is a really caring and straight to the point type of guy. But he never means harm to anyone, and he always tries to be blunt in the nicest way possible.

That's something Jeno admires. That fact scares him, once again, but he tucks it into the back of his head, once again.

"Mark..." Jeno starts, looking up at the slightly elder male through his eyelashes. "You're a good guy."

Mark hopes his face isn't as hot as he feels.

"Thanks Lee."

——

"Na Jaemin, you piece of shit!" Donghyuck yells down the hall, which, in retrospect, wasn't the best thing to do.

So Jaemin is pretty shocked, as well as a tad bit angry that Donghyuck, since he knows the voice so well, had the audacity to call his name from the other end of the hallway like that.

When Jaemin turns around, he ignores the looks he gets and watches as an angry looking Donghyuck makes his way to him, stomping with his cheeks red.

"You!" He starts, coming up so close to Jaemin that their noses were almost touching. Against his will, he stumbles back a few steps, but still manages to glare back at the slightly elder boy.

Jaemin has pieced together long ago that Donghyuck wasn't going to play nice, so he wasn't going to either. If Donghyuck didn't appreciate all the self control and effort Jaemin puts into talking to him, then screw it. If Donghyuck could be a bit bitchy, so could he.

"What about me?" Jaemin retaliates, and Donghyuck admits that it catches him off guard. But he doesn't let that show.

"You went out with Mark and kissed him." He accuses, although deep down, he knows that he has no right to say anything about it.

It's just that... Donghyuck doesn't like Jaemin. He can't bring himself to like, or even get along with Jaemin.

He still has such a negative connotation of Jaemin in his mind, Jaemin is the one who started all of this nonsense by being Jeno's boyfriend, by complicated things because of Jeno's established relationship.

And for some odd reason, Donghyuck can't look past it for the life of him.

"So?" Jaemin scoffs, crossing his arms over his chest, still glaring. "You went out with Jeno and kissed him."

See, this is why Donghyuck knew that he didn't have a reason to get mad at Jaemin, because he went out with Jeno. And he's not even mad at Mark at going on the date, so why was he mad at Jaemin.

"You're so fucking annoying Jaemin," the elder spits, huffing and rolling his eyes before setting them on Jaemin again. "Does it feel good stealing someone's boyfriend?"

Maybe Donghyuck was just really clouded with anger or up in his emotions, because he was being way too hypocritical at the moment. Somewhere deep inside, he knew that he was being unreasonable and stupid, but he wouldn't admit that, much less to Jaemin.

"I'm not stealing anyone," Jaemin defends. "Mark's the one who asked me on a date. And what if I like him? You're clearly head over heels for Jeno, who, might I add, is my boyfriend before being your stupid boy crush!"

Now Jaemin was getting upset, upset over the fact that Donghyuck was just being really unreasonable and inconsiderate. They were both ignorant of the others' feelings when they went on their dates with Mark and Jeno, and instead of handling it like mature people, Donghyuck just had to start yelling at Jaemin. And the latter isn't one hundred percent innocent, also egging the elder on and continuing their argument. But that didn't mean it didn't get on his nerves.

"I hate you Jaemin," Donghyuck says, and he says it with a sense of finality, as if he'd never change his mind. Jaemin wouldn't be surprised if he never did. "Good luck trying to fit in with the three of us."

Maybe what Donghyuck said was uncalled for, but what Jaemin said wasn't the kindest thing ever either.

"They both already love me Donghyuck, so you can have fun wedging yourself into this relationship."