Take A Chance ; JaeNo/NoMin [ COMPLETED ]

CHAPTER 19

Jaemin wasn't sure what to say, how he should act after everything. He was insecure, anxious and definitely clueless. "I'm sorry," he uttered lowly, Jeno almost hadn't caught it.

"Sorry for what?"

"For a lot of things," Jaemin started. "Do you want me to go alphabetically?" It was meant as a joke to ease the tension between them but Jeno didn't look impressed as Jaemin thought he initially would be. Jaemin pursed his lips into a tight line. "I'm sorry for everything that I've put you through— for running away, for pushing you away, for being an insensitive jerk, for everything!" he breathed, "what I did was stupid, I know that now! But it was just— I was so confused."

Jeno had been listening intently, eyeing Jaemin's reactions for any slight change and asked, "Confused about?"

"Myself and the feelings I have for you."

"Jaemin, what do you mean?" Jeno tilted his head to the side in confusion, brows knitted in question.

Was Jaemin going to finally admit what he really felt for Jeno? Is this it?

"I know you don't want to hear this but bear in mind, I didn't want this to happen as well— it just did."

"What?" It hadn't made the situation less complicated than it already was. Jeno looked genuinely lost. "Jaemin, where are you going with this? You're confusing me."

"I— it happened so suddenly, after we became close, or probably even before that, but one day, I just realized that I couldn't stop thinking about you no matter how hard I try. It was straining, I couldn't sleep well at night and I stare off in space at day." Explaining how he really felt was hard, Jaemin knew he was blurting out nonsense and Jeno might not even understand half of it but it had to be done, Jaemin had to let it out before his heart exploded. "I was so confused why it was happening to me— I did not know what to do." His chest was hurting. Was he going to die? He felt like he was. "I— like y-you!"

Silence soon followed. Jaemin had his eyes closed tightly but he was expecting. Jeno just stood there, hadn't uttered anything as he continued to stare at Jaemin, without word, tracing the latter's face in his mind until the picture was engraved in his memory permanently. His face remained passive despite the rapid beating of his own heart.

Jaemin had grown sick of the stillness. "Please say something. Anything!" Jaemin knew that his confession was lousy and stupid and not what he had in mind but the way that Jeno remained unperturbed as the latter received his proclamation was nerve wrecking. He was beyond antsy, his hands were shivering and he wanted to disappear, to dig put a hole and hide there for all of eternity. He just confessed to Jeno! And it was just as mortifying as he thought. "Get mad! Shout at me! Anything! But don't stay silent, p-please? I-it's killing m-me." Goodness, he was beyond distress that his eyes started to sting in frustration. "P-please...."

But what Jeno answered in return definitely took Jaemin aback. "Tell me this is real. Tell me I'm not dreaming."

Jaemin's eyes faltered open at the statement. He hadn't seen that one coming, not by a mile.