Dark Streets | HAECHAN

Chapter 19

Stupid project.

Ayeon had to stay late at school again. The teacher had assigned this huge art project and definitely did not give them enough time to complete it. Even Renjun was staying late.

Most of Ayeon's classmates had gone home before the sunset, leaving Ayeon alone with Renjun in the studio. Ayeon wasn't really worried though, as she had already told Donghyuck, who said he would take her home, against Minhyung's advice to stay away.

Renjun's phone suddenly rang and Renjun let out a grunt before picking it up. Ayeon couldn't help but overhear his conversation.

"Hello? No, I'm busy." Renjun said, annoyed. Ayeon turned to see his eyebrows furrowed.

"I said that I'm busy! Go bother someone else! It's not my fault Sicheng wants to hang out with Jaehyun." Renjun sighed.

"Just ask Haechan to take you around. He's waiting for his girlfriend anyways." Renjun said before hanging up. "Sisters."

"Was that Jiayi?" Ayeon asked. Renjun turned his head towards her.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Renjun asked back. Ayeon smiled.

"Taeil mentioned her." Renjun nodded his head.

"Of course he did." Renjun said. "Ayeon, do you have any siblings?"

Ayeon shook her head. "No I don't."

"Lucky. You and Haechan have both been blessed." Renjun told her. "Having a sister is the worst."

Ayeon chuckled. "You sent her to Donghyuck?"

"Yeah, he's not doing anything anyways. Just waiting for you. He can take her on some stupid campus tour of the college, this project is already enough for me."

Ayeon couldn't help but agree. This project was taking a lot longer than usual.

As Ayeon continued to paint, the events from that morning with Donghyuck and Minhyung passed by her head. She wondered if Renjun would be able to give her more information.

"Hey Renjun."

"Yeah?" Renjun said from his seat.

"If I have a question about the Phoenixes, can you answer it?" Ayeon asked. Renjun paused before responding.

"I mean, it depends on the question."

Ayeon shot him a glance before taking a deep breath. Here goes nothing. "Who's Mark?"

It was like someone had pressed pause in Renjun's head the second the words left her mouth. He took a deep breath before putting down his paintbrush.

"You're really trying to open up pandora's box, aren't you?" Renjun told her. Ayeon was confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Normally, I wouldn't even think about answering that question. The only reason why I'm telling you is because I know how in love Haechan is with you and I think this is something you should know but also something he'll never tell you." Renjun's tone was serious.

Ayeon nodded her head and Renjun began to explain.

"You know how Haechan and I are close and inseparable? It wasn't always that way." Renjun said.

"There was once this boy named Mark Lee. He was an orphan, just like Jeno and Haechan, an outcast like the rest of us. One day, back when their parents were alive, Haechan found him getting beaten up for stealing food from a grocery store."

"Haechan, being the troublemaker he was, immediately pulled out a knife and threatened to kill the men beating Mark up. It sounds ridiculous that a group of men would be scared of a twelve year old boy, but Haechan already had his jacket by then, and the men knew better than to mess with the Phoenixes, so they ran."