Epidemic ✦ Nomin

09

Jeno lies quietly in his bed with his back resting against the wooden headboard. He keeps the lantern he took from Jaemin placed atop of the nightstand beside him, lighting the surrounding area so that he can read a large tome he found lying about under his bed.

Upon skimming through the pages, Jeno had quickly come to realize that it was an anatomy book, and while Jeno initially set it off to the side due to not feeling particularly interested in reading it, he found that falling asleep was still a difficult task. He came to the conclusion that perhaps reading something relatively boring might help induce sleep. Unfortunately for him, his reading time is interrupted after only a few pages by the sound of the door opening. He grumbles quietly to himself, irritated that he had managed to forget to lock the door.

Jeno peeks his eyes up above the book and spots Jisung shutting the door to his quarters ever so quietly. When the boy turns around, their eyes meet briefly. It is hardly a long enough duration for Jeno to feel particularly uncomfortable, but it is hasty enough to derive the conclusion that Jisung was.

"Yes?" Jeno closes the textbook and sets it beside his legs.

"I just...wish to thank you. What you did was helpful...You may not realize it, but you have saved Chenle's life...even if only for one night," Jisung speaks with a shaky voice.

"It was the least I could do after what I said before. I am truly sorry for upsetting you. I did not consider the severity of my words or how belittling it sounded to those who struggle worse than I," Jeno concedes.

"Thank you, sir," Jisung replies simply, but it was clear by the way he chews on his lower lip that the things he wished to bring up earlier were still gnawing at his brain.

"Was there something else?" he prompts the younger boy, whom hesitates at this invitation to speak his mind.

"What you said back there...you spoke very highly of Jaemin..."

"Do not mistake my words as truth. I still have a very keen disdain towards the man. I said what I had to in order to coax the both of you to return to the manor," Jeno clarifies with a flat tone, causing Jisung to nod slowly.

"I hope one day you may see Jaemin for the man you so highly praised to Chenle about. He is a good man, and although I cannot force you to see that, I hope you can eventually see it for yourself," Jisung lowers his head to stare down at his feet.

"Is that all you needed to speak with me about?" Jeno mumbles in a cold manner.

"Yes, sir. I will leave you to your readings. Goodnight," Jisung responds with a bow before scurrying out of Jeno's quarters.

Jeno sits in silence with his lips pursed into a thin line whilst he drowns in his thoughts about Jaemin.

He could never grow fond of Jaemin. Jisung suggesting he should was utterly absurd. Perhaps his acting skills are much more advanced than he realized if he was able to convince Jisung to believe even for a second that he thought of Jaemin in the same way he spoke of him.

In all honesty, Jeno could not deny that he had found himself fond of the man at first, but as the night went on, being around Jaemin became something of a nightmare. Jeno wanted out of his contract and out of Jaemin's life, but there was no way such a thing was going to happen. Not for a while.

A long, long while.