three is the perfect number || jaenoren (norenmin)

vingt-deux

"Jeno? H—hey."

"Jaemin? Why are you still awake? It's pretty late."

"I didn't wake you up, did I?" 

"No, it's all good, I was doing a project. Why'd you call?"

"Uh... I kinda wanted to tell you something? Or, maybe more like ask you to do something, if that's alright."

"Go ahead."

"I think you should tell Renjun you like him."

Pin drop silence on the other end of the line. 

"Jeno?"

"S—sorry, haha, I just got, uh, kinda — why do you think I should confess? I don't know it's just..."  A  nervous laugh broke his speech — it sounded unnatural, forced.  "It's sudden, you know?"

"I... I know that Renjun likes you back." 

"Haha, what? You're joking." 

He sounded like he was pleading. 

"I swear it, I'm not. Renjun likes you back. And, uh, breathe, trust me. I wouldn't fuck around on this matter."

"How — how? He suddenly..."

"I'd like to explain, but it's a bit of a long story, to be honest. And you need to either continue working on your project or go to bed, and I've got to go to bed too. So I'll tell you later."

"I — I'll think about it. So long as you tell me later how in hell's name you know for sure that Renjun—"

"Jeno, he likes you. I'm pretty much 100% sure of that. By postponing your confession, you're postponing a relationship you've been wanting for years."

"I — I know, but... it's scary. And it's sudden, too sudden. And I'm not doubting you or anything, nothing like that. I just — I don't want to be rejected. You just never know, you get me?"

Jaemin blinked roughly, the itchy sensation of tears running down his face distracting him. "You won't be rejected, Jeno. I wouldn't be asking you to do this if I wasn't sure it would go well."

"I — I'm just not sure if it's what I really..."

"What? Not what you really — what?"

"Nothing. I'm just really scared, like, if you could hear my heartbeat right now..."

Jaemin swallowed a hiccup. "I believe in you, Jeno. Confess."

"But... but when? How?"

"Do you want to do it tomorrow, by any chance?"

"Please, no."

"Then do it on Monday. No more procrastinating." 

"Fine, I'll do it then. But that still leaves the question of how..."

"You know him best, Jeno. Better than I do, probably better than anyone ever will. It'll work out, and only you can make it work. That's all that I can tell you. Shit —" Jaemin muted the call, feeling his voice about to break. "I have to go now."

"Oh. Bye, then. Thank you. Sweet dreams." 

"Sweet dreams."

Jaemin hung up and held his head in his hands. 

It's over.

***

i'll continue my chensung 'art of the kill' after i finish publishing this book for those who are reading it as well :)