The Difference

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Doyoung nods, thinking hard. "I...don't know then. Maybe talk to mom, she might know."

"Ok, thanks hyung," Jeno says and leaves the study, walking down the hall towards his mom's office. "Let's hope she knows something." He knocks on the door, waiting for a soft 'come in' from his mother.

"Jeno?" Mrs. Lee looks up from her computer, her hands stop mid-type. "What can I do for you dear?" She gestures for her son to sit in the chair in front of her desk.

"Did I...do something?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well dad has been super rude and cold to me since the end of winter break and I don't know what I've done to make him act like that. I asked Doyoung and he said he didn't know anything either and told me to come to you." He plops down in the chair, relaxing into its hold. 

Mrs. Lee nods, patiently waiting for her son to finish. "Do you think he knows about you and..." She jerks her head, signaling to Jeno that she was talking about his relationship with Jaemin.

"No, I obviously haven't told him anything and I'm sure you guys haven't either."

The woman hums in agreement. "I certainly haven't. Well, I can talk to him for you if you want?"

Jeno nods. "If you wouldn't mind mom."

"It's not a problem." She smiles sweetly at her youngest. "I'll talk to him right now, you go and finish your homework ok?"

"Alright, thanks."

"Of course baby." She shoos her son out of the room and leaves it herself, making her way down to her husband's office.

"Honey?"

A muffled 'what?' is Mr. Lee's response, making his wife sigh. "Can I come in?"

"You may."

She enters the room, plastering a clearly fake smile onto her face. "I wanted to talk to you about Jeno, dear. He's noticed your cold attitude towards him lately and was getting scared he had done something wrong."

Not looking up from his computer, Mr. Lee ignores the question, asking one of his own. "What is Jaemin to our son?"

"Wh-what?"

"I won't ask again. Is Na Jaemin really just a friend?" He turns his glare from his computer screen towards his wife, making her shake slightly.

"I- I don't seem to understand. Na Jaemin is Chan's babysitter and a good friend of Jeno's. What else is there?"

"Bullshit!!" Mr. Lee slams his hand on the desk, the sound resonating throughout the halls, shaking all the residents of the Lee Household to their core. "I know he's more than just a fucking friend Myungjae!" His voice rises with his anger, boiling over. "Our son has a goddamn boyfriend and you knew all along! You and the rest of this disgraceful family knew all about it!" He stands harshly, grabbing his wife by her shoulders. "I won't have a son like that. He needs to understand his place. I won't have any son of mine dating a person I had no voice-over. Much less dating another male!" His glare pierces through the hall as if he could see straight through to Jeno's room. The boy was cowering under his covers, fear riding up through him as the shouts of his father reached his ears.