The Difference

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"Jaemin." Donghyuk looks up from his phone to his friend. Jaemin was just sitting on Donghyuk's bed, gently looking out the window, his mind somewhere else.

"Hm?" Jaemin softly turns his head, eyes wandering over his friend's face. It's been 3 and a half months since Jeno left, and Jaemin has finally gotten over the initial shock. But now, he was just broken. His voice was always soft and empty. His eyes lost their glimmer. His whole attitude changed. He wasn't that happy Jaemin anymore. He was back to his cold, lonely self.

"Have you ever actually worn a skirt?"

The question knocks Jaemin out of his daze and he fully turns to Donghyuk in surprise. "What?"

"I asked if you've ever worn a skirt." He chuckles lightly at his friend's face.

"No..."

Donghyuk, although still a few feet away, leans in with a smirk. "Do you wanna?"

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There were only two things that made Jaemin give a genuine smile: Baby Chan, and Jisung. Today he was with Chan for their weekly little meetup. He, Sooyun, and Chan would hang out every Sunday and Tuesday at either Jaemin's house or the local park.

"Uncle Nana!" The toddler waddles through the door and immediately clings to Jaemin's legs, making him smile. Jaemin gently picks the baby up and smiles at Chan's mother, who was walking through the door.

"Jaemin, how are you?" She embraces the boy, making sure to not squash the child between them.

Jaemin smiles and closes the door behind the two Lee's, putting the boy down to run around the living room. "I'm alright I suppose, exams end on Friday and then summer break starts. Then I'm off to college." He smiles proudly, hands on his hips. "I bought an apartment and I plan to move in a good few weeks before school actually starts."

"That's great Jaeminnie. How's dance? How's the bakery?"

Jaemin flops onto the couch, sighing softly. "It's busy but good. Dance is winding down thanks to the tournaments being over. We got second regionally."

Sooyun's eyes widen as she sits next to him. "That's amazing Jaemin! I'm so proud!" She hugs him again.

After a moment of silence, Jaemin looks at the running around Chan, speaking quietly. "How is he doing..."

Sooyun sighs and sadly looks at the teenager. His shoulders were slumped, and his face had fallen. The spark of pride in his eyes had died down, and his smile grew to a thin line of his lips. "He's doing alright." Jaemin just nods. He knew he shouldn't be asking about Jeno, but he couldn't help it. Even though Jeno hurt him, broke him, dropped him like a dirty rag, Jaemin still loved the boy. He still cared for Lee Jeno.

Jaemin knew why Jeno had to leave, he knew why they broke up. Sooyun told him the week after he left. But Jaemin couldn't find it in his heart to forgive his ex. Right...they were exes now. No longer together. No longer a loving couple. Jeno made it clear that things were over; Jaemin couldn't get his ice-cold voice out of his head. It haunted him at night. It followed him during the day. No matter how hard Jaemin tried to forget the boy, Jeno's image followed him wherever he went. His soft and warm voice saying little nothings early in the morning. His caring touch against Jaemin's skin. His fingers running through Jaemin's hair.

The teen would try so hard to forget what it was like to be held by Jeno, but he couldn't. He missed him so much that it hurt. So much that he would clutch his hearts at the memories. But he was angry too. Angry at Jeno for not trying. For not explaining what was happening. For leaving him clueless. For not trying to work it out and stay with Jaemin. Maybe if they talked it out. Maybe if they tried a little harder, then he would still be able to call his beloved Jeno. Maybe then he would still be able to think about Jeno with a happy smile on his face; with no pain in his heart.

But he couldn't. It just wasn't possible. Jeno broke up and then left him. There was no longer Jaemin and Jeno. No more Nomin. That ended with Jeno's flight to America. The worse part, though, was that Jaemin didn't know if he wanted Jeno to come back or not. He loved the boy, but he didn't want to get hurt again. He was tired of being hurt like this. He just wanted things to be the way they were before. But that wasn't possible anymore. It's called the past for a reason.

"I see...Thank you Sooyun."

"Of course. Should we go play with Chan now?"

"Yeah."

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"Noona, I'm sorry for not visiting recently. A lot of shit has gone down." Jaemin chuckles as he sits in front of the gravestone. "I guess I should tell you about what's going on right now." He sighs and looks at the box in his hand. Inside it held two silver rings, both twisted and cut made to look like tree branches. He had planned to give them to Jeno as promise rings, but things didn't turn out. Even though the rings brought pain to his heart when he looked at them, he couldn't find it in himself to throw them away. They are a sign of things that could have been. For the love that had been broken. Broken by a man that Jaemin hated since day one. Fucking Mr. Lee.

Jaemin thought that maybe this could finally be his chance at a good and happy life. That maybe he was finally at a turning point from his bad past. But no. Life just had to hit him in the face. It gave him a free 6-month trial of happiness, and now it's asking to be paid $9.99 a month to continue.

Stupid life and its ability to make Spotify Premium analogies.

"At the beginning of the year, I met this boy on the rooftop of a club." He smiles and fully sits, making himself comfortable in front of both his mom and sister. "His name is Lee Jeno, I think you both would really like him."

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∆oop- only a few chapters left lmao see you soon∆