Beautiful // Nomin

~4~

Jeno's dad looked at Jaemin. "Sorry for the problem. My car was vandalized not too long ago and your brother's ID just happened to be left behind. I apologize for your pressure. There's nothing wrong, you can go. Oh and, here's the ID for you to return to him. Take care."

"Thank you sir," Jaemin said breathlessly and bowed a countless number of times, to Mr. and also to Jeno. He took the ID and bowed to the officers and the secretary. Out of the corner of his eye, he took a peek at Jeno who had an unreadable expression on his face. "Thanks," he whispered again and hurriedly rushed off. He didn't want to hang around the uniformed men any longer. He would text Jeno later. As Jaemin scurried away, he could feel those two eyes piercing into his back.

Jeno looked longingly at his classmate who had left so quickly. Jaemin was interesting, that's for sure. And he was full of secrets. Jeno wasn't someone to be snoopy or curious in others' business, but Jaemin seemed different. Jeno almost felt like it was his duty to come into Jaemin's life in some way.

"Is he your friend too?" his dad snapped him out of his thoughts. Jeno blinked twice at him, confused but then remembered his make-up story. "Oh, no, not really, I just know Jisung. I mean, I know Jisung had a brother but I didn't know it was Jaemin."

His dad was pretty chill, didn't ask about it anymore, and took his son's word for it. The tightness Jeno felt slowly loosened as he believed he had successfully saved Jaemin and himself.

The other supposed perpetrators didn't show up, and Mr. Lee was told that he would be contacted as soon as possible. Since it was late by now and Jeno had missed the bus, he went home in his dad's (new) car. Sitting in the passenger seat, he felt his phone continuously buzzing in his pocket. He felt that it wasn't good to take out and look at now, so upon arriving home he told his father that he'd go do homework and quickly went up to his room.

Damn, why'd Jaemin call him so many times?

You could've just texted me or something, Jeno thought. Now that the tense situation at school was over, Jeno felt a slight pang of annoyance in his classmate's incessancy. And video calling too. Who does that?!

Jeno felt obliged to call him back and particularly video call him because that's what Jaemin had done. Jaemin picked up in a split second and Jeno was met with an interesting view of the boy's face from the chin. "Hey Jeno," he said. Well, at least Jaemin's voice was back.

"Hi. Why'd you video call me?"

"Jenooo. I don't know what happened today but really, thanks for saving me."

"It's really nothing."

"Why'd you do that? Do you know my dongsaeng?"

"No."

Jaemin repositioned his camera to get a better angle. He smiled at the camera and tilted his head this way and that way to make sure his face looked nice. Jeno absentmindedly thought it was cute.

"Woah," Jaemin suddenly said.

"What."

"You're face looks really handsome in the camera."

Jeno was shocked at how fast the pink-haired boy had changed from just a little while ago. He felt his face hot from blushing, hopefully he wouldn't come off as embarrassed to Jaemin. "Umm th-thanks."

Nana giggled and showed his white teeth, then he got a little serious again. "No really, why did you do that today."

Jeno shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, I guess you looked like you were in a really bad position and..."

Jeno suddenly had the view of a very-zoomed-in-Nana's-face, as Jaemin brought the camera extremely close and loudly whispered, "But you even lied to the policeee."

"Well just forget about it," Jeno said exasperatedly. "I-"

His bedroom door suddenly opened and he turned his head to see his pretty girlfriend, Jung Kiara, standing in the doorway. She giggled upon seeing her boyfriend's cute sprawled-out position, lying on his stomach holding the phone, which he quickly sat up because he found it embarrassing. "Ah h-hi bae."

She laughed smiled brightly, "Jeno-yah, why are you--"

"Bae? Who's 'bae'?" a voice coming from the device in Jeno's hands said loudly and unashamed, Jeno's eyes widened as he forgot about the little rabbit in his phone.

No way he was letting his girlfriend see Jaemin. Jeno hadn't meant to cut Jaemin off abruptly, but in a haste to hide the boy, hung up on him without any explanation. Oops.

Jeno smiled shyly as he stood up, "Sorry, I didn't know you were coming. Are you hungry?" he said as he came toward the door, leaving his phone on the night table."

"Not really," Kiara answered. "Who were you calling?"

"Just a friend," Jeno reassured.

"Okay!" the girl took his words easily, and the two went downstairs together, to the living room.

On the other side of town, Nana sat on the ground of the musty apartment, pouting at Jeno's sudden cut-off. Who was bae? Had his girlfriend come? Jaemin sighed.

First day meeting his new crush and Jaemin had already been ghosted twice!