Intricate: The Beginning of Us| MARKNOMINHYUCK(bxbxbxb)

18: He hasn't beaten your ass, has he?

Jaemin

Everything is so... weird right now. It's Thursday now and I get the feeling that not only is Mark-Hyung ignoring me but so is Donghyuck. Even weirder than that is meeting up with Jeno every lunchtime in the nurse's office.

It started off with an accident, us running into each other as he headed there and I was heading to the office. He had a new bruise on his face and while I was confused I was also extremely worried and so I volunteered to take him to the nurse's office. Of course, he ignored me and walked away. Ms. Kwon had given him a disappointed expression and it was as if I wasn't there. It was the second day in a row he'd had to visit so I was concerned and so I asked him what was up. He didn't answer. Instead, he scowled at me and glared but I wasn't fazed by it. He's a kind person, I reminded myself.

So, from then, I went to the nurse's office every day, and surprise, surprise, who was also there?

We usually kept quiet there. He sat on one of the beds while I sat on one of the chairs beside the door. On two of the three days there, I took out a book and began to read while he plugged in headphones and heard some music, I suppose, while laying on the bed.

It was nice and comfortable and it seemed like Ms. Kwon didn't mind us being there. She even attempted to have a couple of conversations with me and while I responded politely, it seemed that they were always cut short. We didn't have much of a connection, I'd simply put it. Not like her and Jeno who seemed to kind of have a sibling dynamic. I knew she was kind and all but I couldn't help but be awkward around her. Well, I was awkward around most people anyway.

"Okay, boys," Ms. Kwon speaks up, rising from her chair with a sigh leading me to divert my eyes from my book to her while Jeno just pretends he didn't hear as usual. "I'll be running to the office for a while, I'll be right back," she informs us, picking up some papers from her desk. I only nod at her politely before turning my head back down to my book.

"You know, you have to stop doing this," Jeno suddenly mutters calmly, his eyes still shut and his back still pressed onto the bed.

"Excuse me?" I question, my eyes slightly widened as I looked at him. For a second, I thought I had hallucinated his voice but was quickly proven false.

"You need to stop coming here," he says, frustration laced onto his voice. He finally sits up and a glare was directed at me.

It was intimidating, not gonna lie, but I still want him to think it didn't bother me as he wants it to. "Then stop getting hurt," I respond in what I attempt to be a cold voice or even simply calm though I was pretty sure that an ounce of worriedness slipped out. I turn my head back down to my book instead of waiting to continue this conversation.

"God, it's none of your business if I'm getting hurt. We don't even know each other," he retorts and I just knew that he ran a hand through his hair.

I decide to ignore him. He was right, though, a couple of days ago we hadn't even spoken and suddenly now I'm so worried about him? Yeah, it makes no fucking sense unless I tell him how big of a crush I have on him which was just a big no.

"Do you have some kind of hero complex or something? Because this is what it looks like. It looks like you're just taking this as another person in need, a charity case. I'm fine," he exclaims sharply, his voice volume raising by word. "I don't know who you think you are but you seriously have to stop showing up if you don't want to piss me off."

As soon as the last words leave his mouth, the bell signaling the end of lunch rings and he's quick to jump off the bed, grab his backpack and hurry out of the room. I stare at it for a couple of seconds, wondering if he really meant what he said. It looked like it did and it felt like a stab to the heart but at the same time, Jeno is always showing nothing and it makes me think that he has such control over himself that he knows how to fake things. Is it bad that I hope that's true?

I was still looking at the door when it was pushed open, successfully bringing me out of my thoughts.

Ms. Kwon glances from the door to me. I have a feeling that she stumbled upon a very furious Jeno before coming in here.

She sighs as she walks over to me. I thought she would just pass by but I was surprised when she sits on the chair beside me. We stay silent for a while. I can feel her eyes on my side profile while my gaze is focused on my lap where my fidgeting fingers rest.

"Look, Jeno has issues," she starts. "Trust issues. He hasn't had a friend in forever and you're the first to approach him too since everyone seems to think that he'll kill them just by making eye contact," I can imagine the eye roll from her. "And from what I've seen, it's something more than a friendship that you want and that's fine but you have to give him time and once you're close, if he chooses to be just a friend then you'll just have to accept that," I nod in agreement.

"Jeno thought when he dated Minji that she loved him and he loved her but the relationship was full of manipulation on her part. He thought that he loved her, and he probably still thinks that but I could tell that it was just him enjoying the feeling of love even if it was fake." She sighs and I finally look at her, making eye contact. She smiles gently at me. "I'm just saying that you have a chance. No matter what he says, he actually seems to appreciate what you've done for him. He would have literally kicked you if he didn't want you near." She pauses. "He hasn't beaten you ass, has he?" She asks with wariness, carefully and slowly. I instantly laugh, shaking my head as a response. "Good, then," she laughs along.

A/N: For some reason, half of this chapter was deleted earlier today so I had to unpublish it along with the rest of the uploaded chapters. I tried my best to recreate the chapter but there are definitely many differences since I couldn't remember most of it but the main idea of the chapter is the same. I'd like to apologize and you for reading!!