Blind Date!!!

17

Three weeks had passed of Jeno and Jaemin ignoring each other. As far as either of them were concerned, the entire Blind Date! situation had never occurred and they just knew each other by their stereotypes; the blind boy and the airheaded jock.

Their friends took notice to their abandonment of each other. While Chenle pressed for details and drama and Jaemin shut him right down, the basketball team didn't really ask Jeno what happened. Renjun only observed. 

"And then my mom told me I couldn't wear a dress to prom so you know what I did?" Donghyuck complained, violently jabbing her fork into her salad. "I went to the god forbidden mall and I bought myself a $300 pink dress with matching earrings using her credit card number which the idiot told me when I was seven years old."

"Omg Donghyuck you're savage!" Shotaro giggled while the sassy student sat back in her chair, quite proud of herself. "My mom would beat me if I did that."

Mark chuckled, putting a protective arm around his girlfriend. "I got my suit all ready. I'm so excited. Hopefully there's food. If there's no food in suing the district."

The boy's remark sent Shotaro into another fit of giggly squeaks that made Jeno smile. He was so cute! Jeno hummed as he ate his sandwich, listening to the others' stories.

"Whatcha humming?" Donghyuck asked once everyone had settled down, glancing over at the raven-haired elder boy.

Jeno looked up from his lap, caught off guard by the sudden question directed at him. "Oh....." Jeno flushed, sheepishly, a memory buried deep within his heart fighting its way to his lips. "A uh....." he found it hard to say. "A song I wrote." 

"Oh what's it called?" Jeno cursed Shotaro in his mind, had been begging no one to ask that. 

"It's called Puzzle Piece. I don't really like it that much anymore. It's kind of....bad I guess."

Renjun finally spoke up, startling the others for he never added much to their lunch conversations. 

"I'm sure it's not bad Jeno." The brunette's melodic voice sounded so much more beautiful considering he rarely used it, other than in class and with Jeno one on one. "Have more faith in yourself." 

Jeno half laugh-half sighed having no faith in himself. "Thanks Jun." He patted his friend on the back, only now catching the hollow sadness in the boy's dark eyes. 

While the others continued chatting about hell knows what, Jeno kept an eye on his best friend. Renjun ate all his food in a matter of seconds, looking as though he was ravenous for a meal. Jeno noted the side of his face was slightly bruised,  someone seemed to have thrown a punch at his angelic porcelain skin. His eyes widened in concern as he noticed large scars peeking out from Renjun's sleeves and collar, meaning they spread to his arms and chest. 

 Not to mention of course, the pained look the boy always carried in his eyes. While some people had a spark of mischief, like Donghyuck or glittery flecks of happiness like Shotaro, the only thing Renjun held was a glint of agony and hopelessness.

Lunch went on per usual. Jeno engaged in a little bit of chatter with his other three friends, the rest of the team never really settling to talk but swaggering around the lunch quad like they owned the place. Renjun however, was deadly silent.

Once the lunch bell rang, Jeno grabbed Renjun's wrist. "Can we talk?" He mumbled under his breath while the others were too distracted to hear him.

"Ummm why?" Renjun raised a bewildered eyebrow but shrugged. "As long as I'm not late to math. Mkay?" 

Jeno nodded, sitting back down on the lunch bench and taking Renjun's hands in his own. Confused, Renjun stared wide-eyed at their hands and then directly into Jeno's eyes. "What are you doing Jeno?" 

"I just, can you lift up your shirt-"

"Excuse me?" Renjun shrieked and jumped back in shock. "On campus?!"

"Sleeve! Shirt sleeve let me finish!" Jeno gently slapped the class president.

"Oh. oh." Renjun awkwardly massaged his slapped face. "Okay." 

Jeno gaped at the large scar that ran from his friend's mid arm to his collarbone and down under his shirt. "Renjun? How-"

"My drunk ass dad beat me." The brunette shook his head, rolling his eyes. He took a sip of his bottled water and shrugged. "But it's no big deal."

Horrified, Jeno raised his voice. "Renjun it is a big deal. You're being beat! You're being hurt. Also you're so skinny. Tell me you've been eating well."

Renjun waved his hands at the younger. "Don't worry about me. I'm perfectly fine Jeno, you're just overreacting. I can take care of myself you know."

"But you're hurt I just want to-"

"Jeno I love you but you are way too overprotective!" Renjun burst, leaping to his feet. "I don't need anyone to look after me. That's a luxury I can't afford. I won't let him affect anyone else ever again. Never again." And with tears in his eyes of misery, Renjun snatched his water bottle and stormed off.

Jeno sat, astounded by his usually subdued friend's outburst. "Wow." He began, shaking out his wrinkly shirt. He's angry. I've never seen him so full of emotion. Usually he's just stone faced and hushed. Jeno packed up his trash, tossing it in the garage can as he passed by, recalling the hateful look in Renjun's eyes when speaking about his father. Jeno knew his mother had died when he was young but he never knew much about the boy's dad.

And what had Renjun uncovered, something about his father being a drunk? Jeno felt fear prickle up his spine. It wasn't even his own household but he was shivering with nervousness just thinking about it. 

Jeno pushed open the school doors, mind whirling with possible ways to help Renjun. He hustled to the restroom, clock ticking. Before Jeno could turn on the sink in the empty bathroom he heard a noise.

"Ah Chenle~"

Jeno froze, recognizing the moaning voice. Jisung. Perplexed Jeno cocked his head to one side. Why would Jisung out of all people be moaning Chenle's name in the school bathroom? 

"Chenle....ah I love you~"

A wave of panic fell crashed over Jeno, almost knocking him to the ground. Park Jisung is masterbating over Zhong Chenle. The thought throwing the basketball player for a loop. Jeno stood, hands on the sinks, shocked beyond belief, listening to the bully gasping out the name of the boy he tortured the most. 

Slowly but surely, Jisung calmed down, flushing the toilet and unlocking the stall door. Without realizing it, Jeno had stayed glancing at his reflection. When he heard the stall door swing open he felt his stomach drop. He had been caught.

He whipped around, Jisung's eyes as wide as dinner platters, staring directly at him, looking downright terrified. "H-how long have you been s-standing there?" Jisung's voice wavered uncharacteristically as he pointed a shaky finger at Jeno.

"Uh.....not long." Jeno replied nonchalantly, deciding to keep the secret to himself. "Why?"

Jeno caught Jisung clench his fist at his side and glance up at the tiled bathroom ceiling. "No reason son of a bitch." The attitude returned immediately as Jisung pushed past the elder to wash his hands.

Jeno scoffed, a small voice in his head telling him to burst Jisung's bubble and tell him everything he had just heard. "Why may I ask do you care? Don't need to get all moody, geez. Doing something you shouldn't have?"

"Woah." Jisung spun on his heel, facing the dark haired boy. "Don't need to be so standoffish you desperate slut. Can't a guy just use the restroom?"

The words cut deep in Jeno's already broken heart. His brain screamed at him to reveal Jisung's secret. He crossed his arms over his chest, eyes narrowed. "At least this slut take what he wants." Jeno's voice turned cold as he hissed a retort. "At least I don't spend lunch hour masturbating in the bathroom over someone I harm on the daily."

Jisung's mouth fell open but Jeno didn't stay around long enough to get any more of a reaction from the boy. As soon as the words tumbled out of his mouth, he bolted away to his class not wanting a tardy slip for sassing the school bully.