seven 》nct dream

18

"Alright everyone." Renjun eyed his two group partners, threatening them with his gaze. "There's an elephant in the room. Are we going to address it?"

"No." Jisung shook his head, not even needing to be threatened to cooperate. The same couldn't be said for others.

Glancing to the still-silent boy, Jeno's words were caught in his throat, choking him. He saw the pair's judgemental looks, even taking a bit of shame from them. "Look, I know we shouldn't, but I want to so bad."

The group was referring to a perturbed Donghyuck, who was sticking their newest club visitor with mental daggers.

Mark, who was happily pretending not to see the bothered boy planning his untimely death, was completely in his element. Ignoring Donghyuck was his specialty.

"Don't you just want to ask about what happened between them? Why they would ever think they were good together in the first place?" Jeno attempted to keep his voice to a low whisper as the words shot out of him, desperation clear. "Not to mention, it would be such good payback for all the idiotic things Hyuck has done to me."

Renjun was empathetic, unlike his muscled counterpart.

"Is it really that bad?" The Huang questioned, obviously seeing how his friend was affected.

"The day I've had." Jeno sighed, rolling up his sleeves. "I've consoled girls about not getting asked to the dance, answered which shade of lipstick looks best, and been the earpiece for every bit of drama that has ever occured in these halls."

Jisung was amused, girls always made everything so complicated in his eyes. Still, he was nosy. "Like what?"

The trio ignored the storm brewing behind them, intrigued by things that didn't involve them. In a moment they transformed into three gossipy old women, spreading all the news.

"I don't even remember most of them. It's all just in one ear and out the other." The Lee rested his chin on his hands, wishing he could scrub all the picked up information from his brain. "It's all just jealousy. Jealousy that she doesn't look as good as another girl, jealous that he talks to everyone else and not her."

One particular instance coming to mind, Jeno shook his head. "I listened for ages about one girl who's so mad because her boyfriend's best friend gave him flowers. Not even a whole bouquet, just one rose. Now the boyfriend won't shut up about it and neither would she. Wasted all my free time in math, I swear."

The instance sounded oddly familiar to the youngest, but he kept quiet about it, putting the thought away in the filing system of his mind.

Renjun would have offered his condolences, but an aggravated boy interrupted him, throwing his arms over the Huang's shoulders.

"If you three don't join the group soon, I can't promise this afternoon will end pretty." Donghyuck's sanity was slipping away, that fact was clear. The idea was amusing to the visiting Canadian, who watched with a smile.

Returning to the task at hand, Renjun gave Mark a nod, explaining the situation. "Usually we have a few minutes to set up before people start showing up. Then we just see what they want to do, and go from there."

A faint, sugary scent of cookies wandered in the room, directing everyone's attention to the boy at the door.

"Sorry I'm late." Jaemin smiled, setting a plate on the table. "I had to run out to my car to grab these."

Everyone greeted the Na as he took his usual spot at Jeno's side, quickly noticing the newcomer.

Though Mark was social, good acquaintances with all his fellow students, he didn't recognize this one. Taking his duties as class president and general good person, he introduced himself.

"I'm Mark." He waved at the boy, taking notice of Jeno's heart-eyed gaze towards the stranger. "I don't believe we've met."

"I'm Jaemin." The new boy nodded, and although he'd never spoken to this kid before, there was a certain familiarity he couldn't quite place. "I've seen you somewhere before."

While that conversation was occurring, Jisung moved to his agitated tan friend, keeping his voice low. "See? This isn't so bad."

"Whatever." Donghyuck huffed, arms crossed defensively across his chest. "I just want to get this over with. The sooner that Mark is out of here and gone from our lives, the better."

Jisung was somewhat used to the rebel boy's prickliness, he had never seen it this bad. "You really don't like him."

Donghyuck offered no response, only observing the interactions ahead of him.

"You've probably seen him around school, he's pretty popular." Renjun offered to Jaemin's dilemma, but the new boy just shook his head, the idea not fitting right.

He had seen the kid, but it wasn't in a school setting. The whole thing was extremely confusing to him.

While Jaemin knew this was a recent sighting, this current Mark was not the one he had the memory of. A younger, more innocent boy was the one in his mind. The only way this was possible was if he had seen a younger sibling, or maybe even an old picture.

Jaemin's mind went back to the other night at Donghyuck's and it all clicked.

"I know!" The realization was so sweet to Jaemin he didn't even care how he was sharing secrets he wasn't supposed to. "Hyuck's got a picture with you in his room, but he told me you were his brother and dead."

"Dead to me, maybe." A cruel comment, used only to mask his embarrassment at being discovered.

"You lied to Jaemin?" Renjun was disappointed, but not surprised. He waited for an explanation from the accused, but Donghyuck's infuriated attention was on a smug Mark.

The Canadian gave the boy a smirk, further flooding his insides with shame. "You kept the picture up?"

Donghyuck didn't like that proud tone, the satisfaction in those cursed words. They stung his ears and brought back memories of things he had tucked away long ago.

The embarrassment was exhanged for sorrow and frowns at the return of recollection of poor moments. Things that bothered him then that still plagued him today.

Luckily for him, students had started to stagger in, saving him from reminiscing and explaining. Eyes moving away from the expectant Canadian, Donghyuck mumbled his response. "We've got a club to run, let's talk about this later."

Everyone accepted the easy way out, the less-than-confident boy an odd sight to all of them.

Renjun was needed for academic assistance, Jisung started a game with a few students, and Mark was pulled into a conversation by one of his adoring fans, leaving Jeno to watch as Donghyuck shuffled out of the room, seemingly undetected.

An emotion took over the muscled man: pity, is what he would describe it, but to everyone else, it was sympathy.

Curse Hyuck for having all these girls with feelings pour theirs on him. It was turning him into a real wimp.

Jeno knew where he had to go. Luckily for him, Jaemin had also seen the quick escape, and already understood.

Patting the boy's arm, Jaemin only secured the idea that had been floating around in the Lee's mind. "Go get him."