"bike with me." - nomin [ON HOLD]

pink.

jeno looked at the last text mark had sent. mark wasnt entirely wrong; jeno was still holding on to grudges formed by past mistakes and neglection. but jeno was growing as a person. he knew these grudges won't last forever. forever is a long time, and jeno doesnt have the patience for it. for now, all he wanted was a smoke.

his sleek black motorcycle was parked at the end of the parking lot and he had entered the zone known as "the Den" to most SMU or SM high school students. it wasn't really a building; more of an open park that parents and children dare not to go, so it was left for junkies, drinkers, and horny teenagers to use for their own pleasures.

jeno always came here to either buy or just have a smoke, but he knew better than to stay for more than he has to. today was exceptionally full; it is a friday night and most of the people dont have to worry about waking up for school tomorrow.

he shut off his phone and walked away from his bike, heading over to a group of familiar college mates he would see around. they were blasting to the recent top hits on their speaker, and jeno recognized one of the songs "sunny side up".

he nodded at them and they nodded back, one of the people was who jeno bought from. the guy was always stashing weed somewhere, and he knew just the amount you were willing to buy.

"whats up, jeno," the boy said, smirking towards jeno's direction. jeno didnt say much and opened his phone once more. awkwardness between the two was in the air for a few seconds until...

*ping*

jeno sent the guy the cashapp money mark had sent. the guy opens his phone and looks back up at jeno. he reaches into his pocket, pulls out a full sandwich bag, and hands it to jeno.

jeno nods once more and heads back to the parking lot. he didnt feel like staying out on the field witg all these other people, so he decided to smoke somewhere quieter instead.

jeno reaches his bike at the parking lot and just leans on it, pulling out a blunt and a lighter. the dim pole lights hovered over him and casted a shadow of him and his beloved bike, a bike jeno swore to never leave. it was a treasure to him by someone he loves a lot, someone who he never wants to go.

he took a drag of the blunt and exhaled. his nerves were starting to ease and his mind wasn't focused on jaehyun, or mark, or anyone in particular. just himself.

himself was all that mattered right now.

himsel--

"cool bike."

jeno's heart immediately went into cardiac arrest as he swiftly turned and saw a smiling boy staring right at him. he didnt notice anyone even around the area, so his nerves tensed up when he heard the small faint words.

jeno examined the boy in front of him. he looked the same age, if not younger, than jeno, and his face was illuminated despite the pooly lit pole lights above him. the boy's smile seemed genuine and carefree, as if it was normal for him to approach someone like that. his outfit was quite odd, for he was wearing a bulky trenchcoat with pins scattered all across it. jeno noticed that the boy had a brown bag in his hand, and the smell of alcohol was strong from this boy. he was drunk, but that wasnt the most noticeable trait from the boy.

this boy's hair was a bright hue of pink.

"cool bike," the boy had repeated, and jeno's train of thought broke there. he realized he had been staring at this boy for too long.

"oh, well, thanks," jeno mumbled, getting closer to his bike out of habit. the boy let out a small hiccup before taking a step closer to jeno. jeno was becoming more tense and uncomfortable as this mysterious unknown boy was leaning closer to him, slightly puckering his lips.

"ah, sorry, but im not interested," jeno said in a flat tone. the boy stop at his tracks and let out a frown.

"i was gonna point out that there's something on your shirt," the boy said, or well, barely slurred out of his mouth.

jeno looked down at his dark colored shirt only to have a finger flick his nose and snap his head back up. a burst of laughter escaped the pink haired boy's mouth. he stumbled a bit and jeno was annoyed at this immature behavior.

"i cant believe you fell for it, dumbass." the pink haired boy hiccuped. "of course i wanted to kiss you."

jeno couldnt help but blush at those words. who is this boy? he's getting might brave to a man he just met.

"look, kid---"

"i'm pretty sure we're the same age," Pink Hair said.

"whatever, fucker. dont you have someplace else to be?" jeno pushed him back a bit after Pink Hair started leaning onto his bike. "where are your friends?"

"my friends?" Pink Hair laughed, almost maniacally to a joke jeno couldnt understand.

"i have no fucking friends."

Pink Hair paces a bit, and jeno's eyes couldnt help but follow this mysterious boy's movements. the boy was slouched, almost ready to pass out from the alcohol, but it still seemed like this boy was still in his state of mind.

"i did have one friend. he's a pretty boy and he's a whole masterpiece. im grateful for a man like him. his name is huang renjun." Pink Hair chuckles. "he's in the other side of the world right now... starting his first semester as an art student at some prestigious, hig end, school for kids with sticks up their asses." jeno started to notice how Pink Hair's voice was gradually getting louder, the frustration getting more obvious in his tone. jeno was starting to feel a small pang in his heart, empathy for this boy talking about his friend in a sorrowful way.

"and he's over there making the world better everyday... and here i am, a useless senior in highschool... hell, this is my SECOND year as a senior." hiccup. "i cant even manage to pass one year and just get out of my own hellhole i created. do you know what they say about kids like me?"

jeno knew the answer yet to come. jeno knew because he feels the exact same way.

"they say kids like me are better left off dead."

jeno wanted to reach a hand out to Pink Hair, to give him strength. jeno's heart suddenly swelled with empathy for the boy, because his words touched him. Pink Hair felt as if no one was here for him, no one around to come for him. jeno expected an energetic boy full of happiness when he saw the first smile from thid boy, but now jeno can see this boy is filled with dark, hollow emotions.

"hey," jeno said in a soothing voice after a long moment of silence. he placed his hand on Pink Hair's shoulder. although Pink Hair was looking down on the floor, he could feel the slight shake in his body. he was crying.

"hey, hey, everything is gonna be alright man," jeno tried to calm the boy. Pink Hair nodded while still focusing his faze on the asphalt floor of the parking lot. jeno had forgotten about the fact that he was still at the Den, and the loud and boisterous commotion was blurred out to him. at the moment, it was only him and Pink Hair.

Pink Hair finally looked up to jeno's eyes, and although his eyes were red and puffed up, they had a special tuch to them that jeno thought was quite attractive. his long lashes were unique as well.

"i just realized," Pink Hair said. "i didnt actually catch your name..."

jeno smirked. "i'll tell you mine if you tell me yours first."

Pink Hair rolled his eyes but let a smile escape anyways. "i'm jaemin. na jaemin."

jaemin. jeno took jaemin's hand, shook it, and replied with, "jeno. lee jeno."

jeno wanted jaemin to feel better, so he inhaled and asked:

"jaemin, can i offer you anything to help you feel better?"

jaemin stared at jeno with a blank face. then:

"im tired. and im gonna puke my guts out. can you take me home?"