OPIA • N.Jaemin

Chapter 2: Regular -Irregular part II

"Just take a shower and look alive."

"M'kay..."

By the time the call ended,Jeno was already making his way towards the cashier, and Sungchan smiled at him with a small wave.

"Hyung!" Came the boyish greeting that had Jeno smiling slightly as he placed the items on the desk. Sungchan had just moved in the neighbourhood around two months and the first time Jeno met him was when he got cornered by a female witch who had jinxed his drink and was robbing him in a dark alley.

"Seems like you're staying away from parties."

Sungchan scoffed at that, lips pursing as his cheeks got red at the very memory. His hands nimbly scanned through the items and not a minute later he had them placed inside a plastic bag.

"God, who knows what would've happened to me if you weren't there to stop her..."

Jeno laughed. Genuinely so. The image of the younger male waking up with all his valuables stolen in an unfamiliar alley,probably drunk with something he didn't even know existed, was a rather amusing scenario, and he thought for a second that the only reason he turned into that corner was because he had this extremely irritating itch in his senses that pushed him to follow the trail.

He took the plastic bag then and smiled up at Sungchan.

"No problem,buddy." Jeno said casually, before another laugh escaped him.
"Just try to be more careful. The next one who sees you in trouble might be Jaemin."

Sungchan frowned at that,confused.
"What's wrong with that? I thought Jaemin hyung was also a Hunter?"

Jeno's smile then was slightly crooked, the light in his eyes making Sungchan even more confused.

"Yeah,he is." 

"But without me he'd be dead, most probably."

Though the words didn't exactly leave Jeno as he simply flashed his usual bright smile and said his thanks to Sungchan before taking his leave.

When Jeno stepped out of the store, the sky had gotten a little bit brighter, and it was beautiful despite the lack of clouds. He knew Jaemin would've taken a picture immediately, his friend had a natural knack at photography.

Again, Jeno fished out his phone and did his best to angle the camera in a way that would make the picture he took a bit more interesting. The simple 'click' of his phone camera going off as he took the picture had Jeno smiling. He did it once and twice more before checking the ones he did best and promptly sent them to Jaemin.

Jeno liked doing these casual things. Going to convenience stores and doing small errands like laundry or even grocery shopping.
It made him feel normal even if it was for a little while.

He also liked it when Jaemin could also enjoy some normal things too, like his photography and even his unhealthy coffee intake. They didn't spend much time doing things other kids got to do during their youth. School and homework felt far off to both of them, including Jisung and Renjun too.

Growing up as Hunters with no exceptional family background meant that they were just orphans who had to pay off their debt to the community they were raised in by putting their lives on the line. Fighting off monster after monster. Though in Jeno's perspective, the real beasts were the men who shoved the dangers in their faces every second they can. He worried alot for his brothers, and he couldn't handle the younger ones, the boys who are yet to be Hunters. He'd do his best to give them all the help he can, but he could only do so much.

Jaemin was getting even more difficult to handle too, and he's been looking after that guy ever since they were assigned as partners. It was always more with Jaemin. But Jeno wouldn't trade what they had for the world. Same goes with Jisung and Renjun. They made a pact with one another a long time ago.
All for one.